Here’s maps will help you find available EV charging stations

If you drive an electric car, you know that it’s not enough to find a charging station on the map — you need to know that there’s an available plug. Here and Hubject think they can help. They’ve forged a partnership that will see Here’s maps (both in apps and in the car) get real-time info for EV charging stations using Hubject’s platform in Europe. You’ll know whether or not there’s a space free, what connectors are available and other details that can mean the difference between powering up and driving by. The integration won’t be finished until the summer, but it’ll make those cross-continent trips less nerve-wracking when it’s ready.

Source: Hubject

Monohm’s circular ‘anti-smartphone’ is up for pre-order

Back in 2015, while I was trawling the halls of Mobile World Congress, I stumbled upon a device known as the Runcible. It was a strangle, pebble-like object with limited functionality — its creator, Aubrey Anderson, described it as a “quieter” gadget to help people relax and live slightly more disconnected lives. Since then I’ve heard almost nothing about the project, but that’s all changing today — Anderson and his company, Monohm, have announced that the Runcible is now available for pre-order, starting at $399 for the base model and $499 for the premium “adventure” version.

The biggest change is the software. The Runcible no longer runs on Firefox OS, which is understandable given that Mozilla has abandoned its plans to build a smartphone operating system. (Firefox OS lives on as a platform for TVs and other “connected devices,” however.) Now the little puck runs on BuniOS, a platform built by Monohm using the Android Open Source Project (AOSP). It leverages The Crosswalk Project, an open-source web application runtime, as well as a more “traditional” runtime based on Android 5.1, which can be used to install and run native apps.

The Runcible is roughly the size of a coffee coaster. It has a 2.5-inch display with a 640 x 640 resolution, which works out at 256 pixels per inch (ppi). Under the surface you’ll find a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor, a Qualcomm Adreno 306 GPU, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. Not the most impressive specs, but then the Runcible isn’t a traditional smartphone. Its basic features include an analog clock, a compass and what appears to be a photo viewer. Monohm says it’ll “never beep, alert or otherwise interrupt” you, in order to help you focus on the real world.

That’s not to say you can’t stay connected. The so-called anti-smartphone has a 7-megapixel rear-facing camera and supports Wi-Fi and Bluetooth out of the box. Anderson says the final version could also come with LTE — if there are enough pre-orders to “sway the operators,” that is.

The $399 model comes with a back made from recycled ocean plastic. A limited number will also be available for $499 with sustainably harvested madrone wood. These prices might sound expensive — they probably are — but Anderson is committed to quality. Like a watch or family memento, he wants the Runcible to last “decades.” That’s why the device is also highly customizable — Monohm wants users to fix and replace the parts.

“When you take your Runcible apart, you’ll find exposed GPIO (general-purpose input/output) you can add components to,” Anderson explains. “You’ll find end points for audio, USB host, SPI (serial peripheral interface) and UART (universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter).”

The Runcible is weirdly wonderful. It’s trying to tackle an emerging problem with smartphones and how people live with technology — increasingly connected, and staring at a screen. There’s nothing wrong with that per se, but for those who want a different life balance — one where they’re encouraged to look up at the world a little more often — there’s now the Runcible. Much will depend on its software and the support it receives from both Monohm and the developer community. Regardless, we’re just happy to see a startup trying something different.

Source: Monohm

iScout HUD helps drivers with directions and blind spots

Heads-up displays (HUDs) for cars never really caught on, but it’s not for lack of trying. However, Garmin’s unit is proprietary, Hudway’s concept is cool but simplistic and Navdy is a year late and still hasn’t shipped. A new contender called iScout addresses many of those issues. It works with any smartphone, shows notifications from apps like WhatsApp, takes or reject calls with a hand-wave, and has blind-spot cameras. Now comes the gotcha: It’s launching on Kickstarter, so before breaking out your plastic, bear in mind that it may never ship.

With that bit of pessimism out of the way, the company does have a solid-looking prototype and a lot of nice features. The “photochromic” display works in day and night conditions, and it has its own app and GPS to display heads-up route guidance. However, the device also connects with your smartphone over Bluetooth, letting you take or reject calls by waving your hand, for example, while still keeping the GPS on the screen. You can compose texts via voice dictation and see notifications from apps like WhatsApp and Twitter, or control music from Spotify and other apps.

As iScout can link up with the vehicle’s ODB plug, you can also see information like fuel levels. If you’re running out of gas, for instance, it can give you a warning and guide you to the nearest service station. The premium model also has blind spot cameras that automatically activate when you use your turn signals, helping keep your eyes on the road. Speaking of cameras, the device has a forward looking dashcam, in case any of any accidents (or meteorites).

The company is marketing the product as a safety device, but receiving notifications on the device may be nearly as distracting as checking them on your phone. That said, the device is about as safety-friendly as you’re going to get in a connected car. The display, for example “is focused into the distance and shown just below your line of sight,” according to the company. That means it’ll require very little of your attention to check your GPS, speed and other info compared to any other device.

The iScout is on pre-order starting at $269 for the basic edition without blind spot cameras and $299 for the premium model with them. Those models are ambitiously scheduled to ship this November, but you can jump the line and get one in September if you’re willing to pay $499 and help with final testing. Despite the caveat emptors about Kickstarter, and assuming the company’s claims pan out, that sum seems a fair price to pay for jet fighter-like situational awareness.

Source: Kickstarter

OnePlus X series is no more, says CEO

While it’s common practice for smartphone makers to offer two or three product lines to cover all the bases, OnePlus has recently decided to go from two to one. At the OnePlus 3 launch event in Shenzhen today, CEO Pete Lau confirmed that his company’s more affordable offering, the OnePlus X, will not have a followup model. That’s not to say it was a bad phone (even we liked it) nor was it unpopular, but Lau reasoned that OnePlus will instead focus on just one “true flagship” line from now on, in order to strengthen its foundation — something that Lau admitted his team neglected last year — rather than fighting the low-end price war.

Part of this long term plan includes merging OnePlus’ development resources for the global Oxygen OS (near native Android) and the China-only Hydrogen OS (skinned Android), and we’re told to expect an announcement on that end later this year. Lau added that he’ll continue to invest in after-sale services and offer more lifestyle products — like the new series of bags unveiled at the show — to further promote his brand. Judging by last night’s Loop VR virtual launch event plus the new fancy promotional videos, it appears that OnePlus has been spending more money on marketing as well, though Lau said he’ll still be avoiding the conventional advertising channels in order to pass the savings onto his customers. And yes, OnePlus is still going to make a profit off its competitively priced phone, because “we still gotta make money at the end of the day; it’s just a matter of how you do it and how much you want to make.”

Without giving away sales figures, Lau pointed out that his company is doing very well across Europe, India and the US. He expects Europe to remain OnePlus’ fastest-growing market, while the company continues to be the top brand in the $300+ category in India — as reflected by Amazon India’s bestseller chart, according to the exec. Unlike its local competitors, though, OnePlus will remain cautious in China and focus its resources on its online channels, and it won’t be opening any new physical stores there. “This will all make sense in 20 years’ time,” Lau added. “Some vendors say the online model is stalling so they badmouth it, but I see that as an opportunity. You just have to remain persistent.”

Unlike previous launches, the OnePlus 3 has ditched the much loathed invite system and can be ordered immediately (mass production had already started last month), so it shouldn’t be long before we see whether the company’s new strategy will pay off. “We hope that once our fans have played with the OnePlus 3, they will feel the same way they did with the OnePlus One,” Lau said.

Three’s mobile ad-blocking trial starts today

Three is trialling network-level ad-blocking in the UK today. The experiment, which is sure to put advertisers and publishers on edge, will affect a small number of Three customers that were approached beforehand. It’s been described as a “technology test” for Shine, an ad-blocking specialist which Three has recruited to explore the idea.

Three has stressed that “not all participants will experience the full Shine service” over the 24 hour period. That means it could come on intermittently, or only affect certain sites. “You might still see some ads on some websites, or notice some formatting errors,” Three explains to trial participants. “Don’t worry — this is something we’re aware of, and we’re working to fix it.” The technology only works on Three’s own network too, so testers won’t see the benefit while they’re connected over Wi-Fi.

The method by which Shine blocks ads at the network level is unclear. The company says it uses “machines” that are capable of performing deep packet inspection (DPI) inside the network. Using a mixture of “real-time analysis, artificial intelligence and algorithms,” the team is able to identify ads and stop them without breaking the original webpage or app.

Once the trial is over, Three will be picking a selection of customers and asking them for feedback. Responses will be gathered over the phone, however “it may take up to three months” for the company to call.

Ad blocking is a divisive subject. There are clear benefits for the customer — better privacy and a cleaner, faster experience on the web — but it also threatens the business model of countless internet companies. “The current ad model is broken,” Tom Malleschitz, Three’s chief marketing officer said in May. “It frustrates customers, eats up their data allowance and can jeopardise their privacy. Something needs to change.”

While ad blocking is on the rise, it’s still a niche practice — mostly because people have to go out of their way to install an app or browser extension. If it was enabled by default on Three, or offered during the setup of every phone it sells, that could change the numbers dramatically. Three is stepping cautiously — EE and O2, even more so — but if it decides to go all-in with mobile ad blocking, it could have huge implications.

Source: Three