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.

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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.

Android Auto makes its way to Japan

Android Auto has made its way to Japan, the third-largest producer of cars. At a press conference in Tokyo, Google announced Android Auto support for select vehicles from Audi, Volkswagen, Honda, Maserati, and BMW, with Nissan and Panasonic launching head units. Toyota and Mazda are yet to announce support for the platform.

An update coming later this year will bring the full Android Auto experience to the app, but for now, you’re need a compatible car or a third-party head unit. According to The Verge, Android Auto in Japan offers support for local music streaming services, and more apps should be added to the list once it picks up momentum.

All About Android Auto

• Getting started with Android Auto
• List of compatible phones and cars
• Android Auto news
• Apps that work with Android Auto
• Join the Android Auto discussion!

Grab the BlackBerry Priv for just $299 at DailySteals

DailySteals is offering the BlackBerry Priv for just $299, a discount of $400 from the phone’s launch price of $699. The model on sale is a brand-new unlocked AT&T edition.

DailySteals is also offering extended warranty options, with a two-year warranty plan setting you back $35, and a three-year option costing $49. The Priv runs Android 5.1 Lollipop out of the box, but a beta update to Android 6.0 Marshmallow is available for the phone.

See at DailySteals

Google’s latest update for Hangouts lets you record and send video messages

Google has begun rolling out an update on the Play Store for the company’s Hangouts app, which is said to add support for recording and firing off video messages. According to Phandroid, the update will bump the app up to version 11, adding the ability for up to a minute of video to be recorded in a conversation.

With the update installed, you’ll be able to fire out video files to contacts, ideal if you wish to leave a quick message. It’s possible to record one through the app, or select one from on-board storage. As an added bonus, while the Android platform has had to endure a painful wait for this feature to finally hit the store, it appears as though 1080p is supported while the iOS app can only handle 360p.

You can download Hangouts from the Play Store. If you do not yet see the update, be sure to give the store some time to propagate the new release. Let us know if you’ve installed the update and tried out the new video recording functionality.

Lifelogging app Instant’s chatbot shows you just how addicted you are to your phone

Indian startup Emberify’s lifelogging app Instant has picked up a major update to version 4.0 that adds a coach feature, delivered in the form of a chatbot. The feature analyzes your phone usage trends and gives you a daily overview of time spent on particular apps, places visited, sleeping and fitness activity, and so on. There’s also the option to query the chatbot for insights from a particular day. For instance, if you’re interested in finding out how much time you’ve spent playing Pokemon Go, you can ask Instant’s chatbot and view the relevant information.

All data is logged automatically, and you can view detailed statistics over your phone usage. From Shashwat Pradhan, founder and CEO of Emberify:

The problem users are facing with the Quantified Self movement is that they are not being able to stick to it. This has been happening since self-tracking hasn’t been automatic or too many apps are needed for it. In some cases, users track themselves for years and then realise that they aren’t getting value out of the data.

With Instant we have made self-tracking automatic and seamless using the smartphone OS/sensors. Further to add value to the data we have created reports that convey data through story-telling techniques and the Chatbot coach to analyse trends and correlations

Instant also collates data from Google Fit, and syncs with Android Wear smartwatches. All the data that’s collected by the app stays on your phone:

Instant keeps all the user’s data only on the smartphone which can be cleared at anytime. The Chatbot is built-in the app so that data doesn’t need to be sent from the smartphone to a server.

Instant has slowly gained momentum on Android and iOS, with the app seeing over 75,000 monthly active users. The app is free to use, but there’s a pro version that costs $2 per month, or $8 for a lifetime license that shows app usage history, weekly reports, and the ability to backup data to Google Drive should you wish to do so. Hit up the badge above, or head to the Play Store to download Instant.