The first Wear OS Android P developer preview is finally here

Google is bringing Android P to the wearable market. The company has announced the first developer preview of Android P for Wear OS, which adds a number of new features — including a dark theme, limited background activity, and even the deactivation of radios when the watch detects that it’s not being worn.

The developer preview was first announced in a blog post, which highlighted the biggest visual change to come to the wearable operating system — dark mode. Dark mode has been available in Wear OS since the beginning of the year, and basically brings a black background to the notification stream and launcher. Now, the dark mode will be the default theme for Wear OS, and Google says that will help improve glanceability for the operating system.

A number of Android P features are also coming to Wear OS. For example, as mentioned, the operating system will limit background activity, something that should help improve a device’s battery life. Improved battery seems to be a theme for the Wear OS developer preview — Wear OS will also now turn off the bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and cellular radios when the watch isn’t being worn. Wear OS will change another way that a device handles radios too — a device will no longer automatically connect to Wi-Fi when they disconnect from Bluetooth unless an app specifically needs a high-bandwidth network.

According to Google’s blog post, the features will roll out to users gradually. You can download the Developer Preview manually for the Huawei Watch 2 Sport and Huawei Watch 2 Classic now, and you will want to make sure that you download the right file for your region. Of course, you also want to make sure you know what you’re doing here — Android developer previews are meant for developers, not for consumers who simply want the latest version of Android. If you are a consumer, we recommend waiting until Android P rolls out officially, which we expect to happen later this year.

The full Android P developer preview for phones has also been available for a few weeks now. The new version of the Android operating system brings things like improved notifications and support for display cutouts.

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Playing ‘Fortnite’ on a phone makes me feel old

Playing Fortnite on a phone makes me feel old.

As you may or may not have heard, Fortnite, Epic Games’ free-to-play Battle Royale shooter, has become the most talked-about game in and, more importantly, outside of enthusiast gaming circles. Drake plays it. A college basketball player compared it to upsetting a top-ranked team in the NCAA tournament. It’s … getting around. Now that Fortnite is coming to iOS and Android, one can (and probably should) assume the mobile version will become the definitive Fortnite experience.

Having spent a little time with the iOS beta, I have zero interest in playing Fortnite on a phone.

Having spent a little time with the iOS beta, I have zero interest in playing Fortnite on a phone. It looks great and runs well, but it relies on a familiar control scheme that’s kept shooters and other action-heavy games from making waves on phones. The controls, which include digital joysticks and buttons, make you sift through menus on the fly using the same vague tap-and-drags that controls your aiming and shooting. I think it’s imprecise and frustrating, and while I admire the effort Epic put into making the game run on mobile, I’ll always consider the PC and console versions the “real” game.

Here’s the thing: I know I’m wrong. I know that many, many players do not have my hang-ups. I’ve been playing with people who work Fortnite on a phone with skill and accuracy that far exceed what I can do with a controller. (Fun fact: I’m not great at Fortnite). The difference far exceeds the skill gap between us. They show a technical fluency that I would argue the game’s control scheme prevents. It’s not just that they are better at Fortnite on iOS, or even that they’re better at playing games on a phone than I am. They can act on instinct, and I cannot.

I’m 31. I wasn’t born with a phone in my hand, and it is not an extension of being the way it is for those who grew up swiping and tapping. That’s the real problem.

I know this because I’ve seen this divide before. My parents tried to play video games with me as a kid, but they never felt comfortable with an NES or SNES gamepad. Even if they studied the manual and learned every special move in my Street Fighter II strategy guide, I was faster and understood the game better. They’d always lose.

Now I am fumbling my way through Fortnite against phone-native kids, teens, and neurologically flexible adults. I grew up with a controller in my hands, but didn’t have a smartphone until I was, biologically speaking, an adult. I didn’t have to learn a controller, because it just made sense. When I bought my first iPhone in 2008, I had to look up guides on how to change settings. I had to learn, slowly and deliberately, how to use it.

Playing Fortnite on a phone has forced me to accept I am going to die someday.

Everyone reaches a point in life where new technology feels more difficult to learn. For me, Snapchat was the first, startling example. I saw people using it. I was interested, but I hated the UI and didn’t see the value in integrating it into my life. “If I make the time to take a picture, I want to keep it,” I once declared out loud, though to who, if anyone, I can’t remember. Snapchat didn’t enhance my life, but for a younger generation of people raised on the social web, where all content is disposable, Snapchat (and Instagram Stories) made immediate sense.

The distinction between phone-native Fortnite players and my own fumbling skill is smaller, I’d like to think. I know how to play the game on a basic level. There’s no element of it that completely eludes me. It just doesn’t feel natural. That may be, in part, because Fortnite was made for PC and consoles first. I played it there first, using controls that I already knew and loved.

Despite that, I still enjoyed the iOS version of Fortnite. While it may not show the same shimmer and detail as you’d see on a PS4 Pro, the iOS edition doesn’t cut any corners. It looks like Fortnite and, for the players who can use the controls, plays just as well. The mobile game even supports cross-play with PC, PS4, and Xbox One. I would never be able to keep up players on those devices, but some of the people I played with seemed like they could. (Fortunately for me, Epic said Bluetooth gamepad support should be added to the mobile game later this year).

Playing Fortnite on a phone forced me to accept I am going to die someday. More importantly, it brought into stark relief a concept that critics often wrestle with but must often leave out of our analyses of games, phones, and other technology. Our understanding of each device we touch is informed by the devices that touched us. Fortnite is not formative for me, but it will be for millions of people, and that’s going to change the way we play.

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ASRock’s four add-in graphics cards are based on AMD’s Radeon RX 500 Series

ASRock is officially joining the graphics card market with the introduction of its Phantom Gaming series. They are based on AMD’s previous-generation Radeon RX 500 Series “Polaris” cards, and not the more recent Radeon RX Vega models based on AMD’s latest “Vega” GPU design. Overall, there are currently four models in the entire Phantom Gaming family ranging from the RX 550 to the RX 580. 

Have a look: 

 

RX580 8G OC 

RX570 8G OC 

RX560 2G 

RX550 2G 

Cores: 

2,304 

2,048 

896 

512 

Base speed: 

1,380MHz 

1,280MHz 

1,149MHz 

1,100MHz 

Overclocked: 

1,435MHz 

1,331MHz 

1,194MHz 

1,144MHz 

Silent mode: 

1,324MHz 

1,228MHz 

1,103MHz 

1.056MHz 

Memory: 

8GB GDDR5 

8GB GDDR5 

2GB GDDR5 

2GB GDDR5 

Memory speed: 

8,320MHz (OC)
8,000MHz (Normal)
7,680MHz (Silent) 

7,280MHz (OC)
7,000MHz (Normal)
6,720MHz (Silent) 

6,240MHz (OC)
6,000MHZ (Normal)
5,760MHz (Silent) 

6,240MHz (OC)
6,000MHz (Normal)
5,760MHz (Silent) 

Memory bus: 

256-bit 

256-bit 

128-bit 

128-bit 

Ports: 

3x DisplayPort 1.4
1x HDMI 2.0
1x DVI-D 

3x DisplayPort 1.4
1x HDMI 2.0
1x DVI-D 

1x DisplayPort 1.4
1x HDMI 2.0
1x DVI-D 

1x DisplayPort 1.4
1x HDMI 2.0
1x DVI-D 

Power connector: 

1x 8-pin 

1x 8-pin 

n/a 

n/a 

Size (inches): 

10.97 x 4.99 x 1.65 

8.47 x 5.07 x 1.71 

6.67 x 5.15 x 1.65 

6.67 x 5.15 x 1.65 

 The RX 580 and RX 570 models rely on two cooling fans whereas the RX 560 and RX 550 models only have one. Regardless of the model, ASRock says the fans feature a double ball bearing design for a smoother spin and a lifespan between 50,000 and 100,000 hours. ASRock claims this design increases the fan lifespan by up to 40 percent compared to your typical blower design. 

Other ingredients thrown into the new cards include a “premium” copper base, nano thermal paste, and an anodized aluminum heatsink. The heat pipes feature a composite design combining powder sintered and grooved interfaces together to increase cooling capacity by up to 30 percent. 

Included with all four cards is the company’s Phantom Gaming Tweak utility. With this tool, gamers can tweak the fan speeds, the core clocks, memory frequency, and more. This is also where gamers switch between the three pre-set modes listed in the chart. According to the company, the utility provides enough voltage configure options to push the cards to their limits. But gamers can also tweak the cards using AMD’s Radeon Wattman tool baked into the Radeon Settings software. 

“ASRock finally expand into the graphics card field,” ASRock CEO LL Shiu said in a statement. “We are happy and proud to team up with AMD, our strong and reliable partner, and of course we look forward to bringing out more interesting and competitive products in future.” 

ASRock began teasing its eventual entry into the graphics card market last week with a video uploaded to YouTube hinting to its Phantom Gaming brand. Rumors began circulating in early March stating that ASRock would enter the GPU market and mainly focus on AMD-based products. But the company’s motives may not be entirely gaming focused given the momentum of cryptocurrency mining and the fast sales of supporting graphics cards. 

The Phantom Gaming series is expected to hit shelves in April for unknown prices. 

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A rebooted Palm smartphone could launch on Verizon later this year

We live in the era of the reboot. Forget movie reboots — we’re talking about phone reboots. BlackBerry’s still launching phones with hardware keyboards, Nokia is back from the dead, and now we may be treated to a reboot of the Palm.

The report comes from Android Police, which notes that a new Palm device may launch on Verizon in the second half of this year. The rumor, which cites an anonymous source, echoes rumors that were sparked last year when a TCL executive confirmed that the company wanted to launch a Palm device in 2018.

Apart from the fact that a Palm device may launch on Verizon later this year, we don’t really know all that much about the project. The report notes that the phone will likely run Android, and we know it will be launched by Chinese brand TCL, which bought the Palm brand in 2015. It will be interesting, though not surprising, to see an Android-powered TCL phone. Not surprising because recent BlackBerry phones have also featured the Android operating system, but interesting because Palm may want to load on some of its own software tweaks.

TCL seems to be building a reputation as the company that revives old smartphone brands, despite otherwise being known for its TVs. TCL is also the company behind the recent BlackBerry revival. While it is popular, the Palm brand doesn’t necessarily hold as much weight as BlackBerry or Nokia, so it will be interesting to see how the company can effectively market a new Palm device. Of course, Nokia does seem to have done pretty well for itself so far — the flagship Nokia 8 Sirocco is well-designed and features some pretty nice flagship specs, like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 and 6GB of RAM.

It does make sense that Verizon would be the company to carry the newly revived Palm. Verizon intended to carry the Palm Pre 3, a phone that was canceled by HP, Palm’s then-buyer, before the phone could be launched in the U.S.

While we don’t know all that much about the new Palm just yet, we’ll update this article when we find out more.

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Best Xiaomi Phones in 2018

The manufacturer you may have rarely heard of makes some of the best devices available today.

Xiaomi is a smartphone manufacturer that is growing in stature day-by-day, despite having limited presence outside of Asia. The company is now the fifth-largest smartphone vendor globally, a considerable achievement seeing as how the brand started selling phones outside China just three years ago.

Impressive, certainly, and it seems Xiaomi is set to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Apple and Samsung in the higher reaches of the smartphone market. The company overtook Samsung to become the largest smartphone brand in India late last year, and is slowly making its way to European markets.

While so many may have heard the name, the phones are still relatively alien to many in the West. Xiaomi has a reputation for building devices that are an extremely good value without cutting corners. If you’re interested in picking up a Xiaomi phone or just interested in the brand, these are the phones you’ll need to know about.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S

Released March 2018: The Mi Mix 2S is Xiaomi’s first flagship of 2018. The phone shares the same design aesthetic as last year’s Mi Mix 2, but has key upgrades both on the hardware and software fronts. The Mi Mix 2S is powered by Qualcomm’s latest 10nm Snapdragon 845 chipset, and comes with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage, and global LTE bands.

There’s also a variant with 6GB of RAM and storage options of 64GB and 128GB, but these models don’t offer global LTE connectivity. The highlight of the Mi Mix 2S is the dual camera arrangement at the back, with the phone featuring two 12MP imaging sensors. The primary 12MP camera is a Sony IMX 363 sensor and offers 1.4-micron pixels, whereas the secondary sensor is made by Samsung and is used as a telephoto lens.

The primary camera may just be the best Xiaomi has offered in a phone to date, and DxOMark give it a score of 97, just a few points shy of the Pixel 2 XL. The phone holds its own in daylight conditions, but it’s in low-light shooting modes where the camera truly shines. A lot of that has to do with the new AI-assisted features baked into the camera, giving it the ability to pick out the best shooting mode based on the lighting conditions.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2S preview: Great hardware and vastly improved software

The AI features also extend to portrait mode, giving you the ability to set the intensity of the background blur and even animate the background bokeh. On the software side of things, the Mi Mix 2S is the first Xiaomi phone to come with Android 8.0 Oreo out of the box. It offers the latest iteration of MIUI — MIUI 9.5 — and the interface as a whole feels much more polished.

With MIUI 9.5, you can also finally restore settings and apps from a previous Android phone or using your Google account. Previously, you were limited to choosing restore options from Xiaomi’s own Mi Cloud account — and the latest move makes MIUI a more enticing option to customers in Western markets.

The phone will go on sale in China from the first week of April, with the base model retailing for the equivalent of $540. The variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage will end up costing $640, and as of now, there’s no mention of availability outside Xiaomi’s home market. But with the brand looking to aggressively expand in global markets, the Mi Mix 2S should be making its way outside of China in the coming months.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro

Released February 2018: Xiaomi unveiled the Redmi Note 5 Pro in India back in February, and it’s safe to say that the device is the best budget phone in the country by some margin. A lot of what makes the Redmi Note 5 Pro so great comes down to the hardware: it is the first phone in the world to be powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 636, and the performance is staggering.

The Snapdragon 636 itself is an underclocked version of the Snapdragon 660, which is seen on devices that cost three times as much as the Redmi Note 5 Pro. Other specs include up to 6GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage, along with a dual camera setup at the back. That camera is also interesting, as it is one of the best available in the budget segment right now.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro review: King of the hill

For the equivalent of $220, there really isn’t a device that offers quite as much as the Redmi Note 5 Pro. The phone is available via weekly flash sales in India, with the base variant with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage available for ₹13,999 ($214). The variant with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage retails for ₹16,999 ($260).

Considering what’s on offer with the device, the Redmi Note 5 Pro is an absolute steal. Xiaomi is the king of the budget segment, and strong sales of the Redmi Note 4 last year allowed the brand to overtake Samsung. With the Redmi Note 5 Pro, the Chinese manufacturer is set to solidify its position in India.

See at Flipkart

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2

Released October 2017: Xiaomi made the smartphone segment stand up and take notice with the Mi Mix in 2016. The device’s ultra-thin bezels combined with the ceramic construction made it an enticing option for enthusiasts, but with availability limited primarily to Asian markets, it wasn’t the easiest phone to get a hold of. All that’s changed with the Mi Mix 2: the phone has the same basic design as the Mi Mix, but with a smaller 5.99-inch screen and a more rounded design that makes it much more accessible.

And with Xiaomi offering the device in over 30 markets, it is widely available for purchase. One of the highlights of the Mi Mix 2 is global LTE connectivity, with the phone featuring 42 bands in total — the most of any phone sold today, according to Xiaomi. Then there’s that evocative bezel-less design, which sees three edges of the screen sporting razor-thin margins.

Xiaomi Mi Mix 2 review: Astounding, audacious, accessible

Like the first-gen Mi Mix, the front camera has been moved to the bottom bar, which has also shrunk. The camera module itself is smaller, and has been blacked out to make it blend into the frame, creating a seamless look at the front. Xiaomi has retained the ceramic back, but switched to an aluminum mid-frame. There is a version with an all-ceramic chassis, but that particular model is exclusive to China and sold in limited numbers.

The Mi Mix 2 is no slouch either, sporting a Snapdragon 835, 6GB or 8GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB/256GB of internal storage, 12MP camera, 5MP front shooter, Wi-Fi ac with MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 3400mAh battery. One of the main drawbacks of last year’s Mi Mix was the primary camera, but this time around Xiaomi addressed the issue by using the same 12MP imaging sensor as the one on the Mi 6. As a result, images taken with the Mi Mix 2 look incredible.

With the Mi Mix 2, Xiaomi has made its bezel-less design accessible to a more mainstream audience. The device is now on sale in a handful of Asian markets, including India, where the model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB storage is available for ₹32,999 ($5.50). Xiaomi also kicked off sales in Europe, starting with the Spanish market.

If you’re looking to pick up the phone from a country where it isn’t officially available, then you’ll have to go through a reseller like GearBest.

See at GearBest

Xiaomi Mi 6

Released April 2017: The Mi 6 became the first sub-$500 phone to be powered by the Snapdragon 835. It also has the distinction of being the first Xiaomi device to ditch the 3.5mm jack. The highlight of the phone is the dual-camera setup at the back, which includes a standard 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, along with a 12MP telephoto lens that delivers 2x lossless zoom.

The design has picked up a considerable upgrade from last year’s Mi 5, with Xiaomi offering a chassis with rounded corners and two panes of glass sandwiched by a stainless steel frame. As you’d imagine from a Xiaomi flagship, the Mi 6 has beefy specs in the form of a 2.45GHz Snapdragon 835, 5.15-inch Full HD display, 6GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB internal memory, 8MP front shooter, Wi-Fi ac, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and USB-C.

Xiaomi Mi 6 review: A new beginning

The removal of the 3.5mm jack allowed Xiaomi to fit in a larger 3,350mAh battery — 15% larger than the battery in the Mi 5 — while also making the device splash-resistant. The Mi 6 is also offered in a variety of color options, as well as a limited edition ceramic version and a silver variant with a mirror finish.

The phone retails for the equivalent of $420 in China, and with availability limited to a few Asian markets, you’ll have to go through a Chinese site to get your hands on a device if you’re looking to use it in other markets. Just be aware that it doesn’t have global LTE bands, unlike the Mi Mix 2. You get bands 1/3/5/7/838/39/40/41, but if you’re in a market where there’s LTE connectivity on those bands, the Mi 6 is a great option for under $500.

See at GearBest

Xiaomi Mi A1

Released October 2017: If the Mi Mix 2 is innovative for its hardware, the Mi A1 is groundbreaking for its software. The phone is the first from Xiaomi to not run MIUI, with the Chinese manufacturer collaborating with Google on the Android One platform. As a result, you get a device with Xiaomi’s design language and Google’s software vision. The fact that the device costs under $250 is the icing on the cake.

The Mi A1 has a premium design with antenna bands running along the top and bottom of the phone at the back, and the aluminum body gives it an upmarket look. The phone also has dual 12MP rear cameras, with the same configuration as the Mi 6: a wide-angle lens augmented by a telephoto lens for 2x optical zoom.

The rest of the specs include a 5.5-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 625, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, microSD slot, 5MP front shooter, 3.5mm jack, and a 3080mAh battery that charges over USB-C.

Xiaomi Mi A1 review: Best of both worlds

In the two months the Mi A1 has been on sale, Xiaomi has rolled out two updates, delivering the latest security patch. The phone is set to receive the Android 8.0 Oreo update before the end of the year, and is slated to be in the first wave of devices to pick up the Android P update once it becomes available next year.

The Mi A1 is widely available, with Xiaomi kicking off sales in all markets it currently has a presence. In India, the device is sold on Flipkart for ₹14,999 ($235).

See at Flipkart

Xiaomi Redmi 5A

Released November 2017: The Redmi 5A has the distinction of being the most affordable Xiaomi handset to date, with the phone making its debut in India for under $100. Xiaomi saw a lot of success with the Redmi 4A, and it didn’t alter the formula too much with the Redmi 5A: you get the same basic hardware, but the lower price means the phone will be accessible to a wider audience.

The Redmi 5A is aimed at the Indian market, where the base variant with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage is on sale for just ₹4,999 ($77). That’s ₹1,000 ($15) less than the Redmi 4A, and while that price is limited to the first five million units, Xiaomi’s decision to sell the device for under ₹5,000 should give the brand an added boost when it comes to sales figures.

Specs of the Redmi 5A include a 5.0-inch 720p display, Snapdragon 425, 2GB/3GB of RAM, 16GB/32GB of internal storage, dedicated microSD slot along with two SIM card slots, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front shooter, and a 3000mAh battery. On the software front, the phone runs MIUI 9 out of the box.

The Redmi 5A is all about delivering incredible value in the entry-level segment, and it manages to do that with aplomb.

See at Flipkart

Xiaomi Mi Max 2

Released May 2017: The Mi Max turned out to be a surprise hit for Xiaomi last year, so the company rolled out an updated variant with a better design and upgraded internals. The large 6.44-inch screen combined with a massive battery makes the Mi Max 2 a multimedia powerhouse.

With the latest iteration, Xiaomi switched to a unibody design with antenna lines at the back, and made the edges rounded to make it easier to hold the device. The phone isn’t made for one-handed usage, but it is a far sight better to look at and use when seen next to the Mi Max.

Xiaomi Mi Max 2 review: Bigger is better

The Mi Max 2 features a 6.44-inch Full HD display, Snapdragon 625, 4GB of RAM, 64GB/128GB of internal storage, microSD card slot, 12MP camera, 5MP front camera, and a huge 5300mAh battery that is designed to provide at least two days’ worth of usage from a full charge.

The sheer size of the Mi Max 2 makes it a niche device, but if you’re in the market for a phone with a large screen and class-leading battery life, there isn’t a better device available today.

See at Flipkart

Updated March 2018: Added the Mi Mix 2S and the Redmi Note 5 Pro.

TCL is reviving the Palm brand with an Android phone that’s launching on Verizon

Get ready for a Palm-branded device running Android.

Back in 2015, Chinese manufacturer TCL acquired the rights to Palm from HP, vowing the revive the brand with a slate of new phones. Late last year, a TCL executive revealed to a Dutch publication that Palm devices manufacturered by the Chinese company will be making their debut in 2018.

According to a new report from Android Police, the first such Palm-branded device will be released in the latter half of 2018. The phone will be powered by Android and is slated for a launch on Verizon, a long-time Palm partner that sold most of the its devices.

TCL seems to be making a habit of reviving old brands, and based on what the manufacturer has achieved with BlackBerry, it’ll be interesting to see what the upcoming Palm-branded phone has to offer. Siding with Verizon should give it a sales impetus, and the Palm brand still carries a lot of weight, particularly with an older audience.

What would you like to see from a Palm-branded Android phone?

SF Motors reveals two electric SUVs with 300 miles of range

While much of the automotive world is focused on the New York Auto Show, a small car startup has unveiled its first-ever vehicles on the other side of the country in Santa Clara, California. SF Motors, the US arm of Chinese company Sokon, has just announced two cars — the SF5 and the SF7 — as part of a whole new line of electric vehicles. The SF5 is a medium size crossover SUV, and the SF7 is a full size crossover. The SF5 will be available for pre-order by the end of this year and will ship in 2019.

Both vehicles boast a proprietary powertrain that promises 1,000 horsepower and the ability to accelerate to 60 miles per hour in under 3 seconds. They utilize a LiDAR system for adverse weather, road conditions and more. According to SF Motors, it also developed a “range-extension platform” that helps to extend the driving range of the vehicles thanks to a “high-power onboard generator.”

Interestingly, SF Motors also states that it developed its own proprietary battery cells that apparently has a range of more than 300 miles (500 km) per charge. It incorporates a so-called advanced Battery Management System, liquid-cool thermal management and “unique mechanical structures.” And thanks to the acquisition of InEvit, a battery module startup last year, SF Motors is also working on a next-gen battery module system that directly integrates into the vehicle chassis.

And once those batteries are spent, they don’t need to be tossed away. SF Motors is also proposing a battery recycling solution whereby they can find second use in homes and offices.

We attended the car unveiling in Santa Clara but we weren’t given a chance to get inside the vehicles themselves. Still, the cars do look pretty great up close. They’re quite large and roomy as you might expect SUVs to be. I was especially enamored by the large touchscreen instrument cluster and unique head’s up display. I love that all the controls as well as the speedometer are within easy view. A SF Motors spokesperson said they were designed to be in a straight vertical line between your eyes and the road, for less distraction.

Sokon is a well-known maker of vans, trucks and sports utility vehicles in China, but none of them are EVs. A couple of years ago, the company decided to launch a company in the US dedicated to EVs and autonomous vehicles, which is how SF Motors was born. In just two years, SF Motors has made significant strides in creating its first car. It set up its HQ in Santa Clara, California, a research and development center in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and now has seven R&D facilities in the US, China, Germany plus an upcoming one in Japan.

Thanks to the backing of a large company like Sokon, SF Motors is able to make its own investments. As mentioned above, In 2017, it paid $33 million to acquire InEvit, a battery module startup started by Martin Eberhard, whom you might recognize as one of the original co-founders of Tesla. SF Motor had even hired Eberhard as a consultant prior to the acquisition. Now, he serves as SF Motors’ chief innovation officer.

SF Motors also seems well-poised to make a serious run at vehicle production. It purchased the AM General Commercial Assembly Plant in Mishawaka, Indiana last year, which was previously used to make vehicles from the likes of Mercedes-Benz and Hummer. It kept around 400 or so employees from the factory and will apparently be the only pure EV company to have manufacturing facilities in both the US and China.

SF Motors isn’t just about EVs; it’s interested in autonomous tech as well. It just started self-driving tests in California, Michigan and China. The cars will also have “protective autonomy” — basically Level 3 autonomy — which are cars that can handle most driving tasks with “limited input” from humans. According to SF Motors, this technology uses deep neural network-based computer vision as well as LiDAR sensory perception. With all of that in mind, SF Motors hopes to get their “protective autonomy” vehicles on public roads by 2020.

As flashy as today’s reveal is, there are still a lot of unanswered questions. We would’ve loved to get a better look and feel of the car’s interior, as well as how it drives. Plus, we still don’t know how much it costs, which will be an important consideration for most potential customers.

“From the creation of our ‘protective autonomy’ technology to our e-powertrain and battery achievements, we are on our way to become a global OEM and a vertical integrator,” said SF Motors CTO, Yifan Tang, in a statement. “And, as much as we thrive on developing new ideas, our technology is meant for the roads, not the lab.”

The BBC says it’s being squeezed out by Netflix and Amazon

The BBC has released its second annual report since its new charter was established and the broadcaster paints a rather bleak picture for itself. It highlights the fact that the media landscape has changed quite rapidly in recent years and will most certainly continue to do so, and it says that the industry is “more and more dominated by a small number of US-based media giants with extraordinary creative and financial firepower.” The BCC added, “Their business models and huge budgets mean we are increasingly being squeezed out of an ever more competitive environment. British creativity and British content are now under real threat.”

However, the broadcaster is determined to do all it can to survive in the ever more digital TV world increasingly dominated by companies like Netflix and Amazon. In that regard, it laid out a few goals for the year that are aimed at keeping the BBC a relevant, viable service. One focus will be its iPlayer platform. It notes that younger audiences are more frequently choosing Netflix over the BBC and it’s, therefore, making some changes to iPlayer that will hopefully make it a destination itself rather than just a way to catch up on shows viewers have missed. The BBC has already starting to introduce personalization into its iPlayer content and going forward, it will work to enhance the user experience, boost personalization and add more live content.

Similarly, BBC’s iPlayer radio will be revamped to be more intuitive and a place to host its podcasts. The broadcaster says that for the first time, 15- to 34-year-olds in the UK are listening to streaming music services like Spotify and Apple Music more than they are BBC Radio.

But ultimately, the issue comes down to money. The BBC says funding for its UK services has fallen by 18 percent since 2010 while ITV’s and Sky’s incomes have increased by 30 and 90 percent, respectively. “The last few years have seen high super-inflation in areas such as drama and comedy, and we are now seeing this effect moving into other key areas of our output, such as factual programming,” the report says. “The cost of sports broadcasting rights has skyrocketed while, overall, the cost of ideas and talent has risen fast.” The broadcaster concludes that it has shrunk while the market has continued to grow. “In this context, the BBC’s urgent challenge is to develop new ways to grow our income so that we can keep pace with the market around us, as well as successfully safeguard British content and Britain’s creative track record,” it said.

Via: The Verge

Source: BBC

Uber settles with family of pedestrian hit by its self-driving SUV

Tempe Police are still investigating the fatal crash where an Uber autonomous SUV struck and killed a pedestrian and there are many questions about the safety of its procedures and technology. However, one aspect of the case has been resolved, as Reuters reports that the family of Elaine Herzberg has reached a settlement with the company, avoiding a civil trial in this, the first known incident where someone has died after being struck by a self-driving car.

Cristina Perez Hesano, an attorney with Bellah Perez, said “the matter has been resolved,” while Uber declined to comment. The terms of the agreement are confidential.

Questions over liability in the case of a crash with a self-driving car have been asked ever since the technology became a realistic option. In this situation, it’s Uber’s technology, vehicle and test driver behind the wheel, but how this would go for a vehicle owned by a private citizen — or what may happen if the police find Uber’s car is at fault — is still unknown.

Source: Reuters

BMW and Daimler will combine their transportation services

If it seems ridiculous that virtually every major car manufacturer has its own suite of transportation services, you’re not alone. BMW and Daimler have announced a plan to combine their mobility services in a 50/50 joint venture. Car2Go and DriveNow/ReachNow will unite their car sharing efforts, for example, while ChargeNow and Digital Charging Solutions would team up on EV power. Ride hailing, parking are also part of the proposed union.

The two are hoping regulators will clear the services merger sometime in 2018. They’re clearly aware of the potential qualms over anti-competitive behavior, as they stress that they’ll remain competitors in car manufacturing.

The aim, as you might suspect, is to gain a controlling stake in a future where car ownership declines and electric cars take over. Ford, GM and other big brands have all launched or experimented with their own services — there’s a chance that BMW and Daimler could be overwhelmed if they kept up the status quo. We wouldn’t be surprised to see more alliances like this as mobility services mature and it becomes clearer which companies are leading the pack.

Via: Reuters

Source: BMW, Daimler