Sorry, Apple TV: Roku and Chromecast are killing you in sales
The market for web TV streaming devices is heating up and Roku and Google’s Chromecast look like the big winners so far. Per GigaOM, new data from researchers at Parks Associates estimates that both Chromecast and Roku each have sold around 3.8 million units in the United States over the past year while Apple TV has sold only 2 million units in the U.S. over the same period. This makes a lot of sense because Chromecast and Roku’s new USB dongle are both less expensive than Apple TV, which is supposedly due for a major refresh sometime this year.
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AT&T is finding few takers for its ‘sponsored data’ program
AT&T’s controversial “Sponsored Data” plan, originally unveiled in January, has been billed as both a cause for concern and a potential boon for consumers, but in the months following the announcement, not a single high-profile company has joined the pilot program. Re/code reports that AT&T has added several smaller names to the program since then, but what could have been a landmark partnership for the the program, Prime Data on Amazon’s Fire Phone, never came to fruition.
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One of the world’s best Android keyboards is officially coming to iOS 8 this fall
We’ve known for a while that Fleksy, one of the best third-party Android keyboards around, is coming to the iPhone. Now, however, we have a better idea of exactly when we can expect to see it. Per 9to5Mac, Fleksy says that it’s still on track to launch its third-party keyboard app this fall after the launch of iOS 8. The app, which earlier this year broke the world record for fastest typing on a smartphone, now supports 40 different languages and should be a very popular item when it finally hits the App Store.
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Yes, we want to replace bees with tiny flower-loving robots
Honeybees are very important to humans, sustaining Earth’s dominant species with help of their unique ability to pollinate plants. However, humans are not equally helpful to bees, as bees are dying at unprecedented rates thanks to a colony collapse disorder (CCD) that’s apparently so dangerous, even the White House wants it fixed. While some scientists are trying to figure out how to prevent bees from dying, others are thinking about how to replace them with tiny robots that will be able to take their jobs one day, Business Insider reports.
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Speeding Lamborghini hits woman at Vancouver bike race
Filed under: Coupe, Canada, Lamborghini, Videos, Safety, Government/Legal, Police/Emergency, Performance
After the recent Lamborghini crash in downtown Vancouver, it looks like the bad reputation continues to get worse for the Italian supercar brand in British Columbia, after an Lamborghini pace car suddenly clipped a woman during the Gastown Grand Prix in Vancouver, BC.
According to reports, the woman was actually a race official attempting to cross the street at the Vancouver cycling event when she was suddenly struck by the Lamborghini supercar. Witness Corey Coates, who captured video of Wednesday’s incident (above), said on Facebook that people were allowed to cross the empty race course after a bike group had passed, but the woman “just took too long.”
Thankfully the woman suffered only minor injuries, as bystanders indicate the yellow Lamborghini ended up leaving its passenger side mirror behind after the impact took place. Click here to watch the scary crash caught on camera and read the full story at here from The Huffington Post.
Speeding Lamborghini hits woman at Vancouver bike race originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Thu, 10 Jul 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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2015 Ford Mustang production to begin on July 14? Not quite, says Ford
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Mustang6g.com believes that it has unlocked start date for 2015 Ford Mustang production citing a Ford dealer communiqué. According to the report, job one on the 2015 hardtop will allegedly start in just a few days, on July 14, although units that are known as “OK to Buy” won’t enter production until September 9. The cars built between those dates are most likely final pre-production cars for the executive test fleet, and will likely include the cars we’ll be driving at the media launch.
Sun worshippers, meanwhile, would seem to have a longer wait. Job one on the droptop supposedly isn’t slated to start until September 14, with production models starting on October 27. As is the case with the hardtop, these final pre-pros are for the execs and media to test, while actual dealer orders will come from vehicles made after the October date.
After speaking to Ford, though, we wouldn’t put a great deal of stock in those dates as reported. We reached out to Said Deep, Ford’s North American Product Communications Manager.
“There are multiple build schedules for any product that we build,” Deep told Autoblog. “We don’t recognize any of those dates.”
While it’s a virtual certainty that Ford is actively building pre-production Mustangs (your author spotted an uncovered, fully badged 2015 GT Convertible just yesterday), it doesn’t seem like we’re going to hear about the first consumer examples until they roll down the line at the Ford factory in Flat Rock, MI.
2015 Ford Mustang production to begin on July 14? Not quite, says Ford
2015 Ford Mustang production to begin on July 14? Not quite, says Ford originally appeared on Autoblog Canada on Thu, 10 Jul 2014 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Read more here: Ford News
Jaguar’s New Ingenium Engine Family Unveiled
Ingenium, a new family of premium diesel and gasoline engines designed, engineered and manufactured by Jaguar Land Rover, will deliver exceptional levels of torque, horsepower and refinement while offering reduced emissions and improved fuel consumption.
For both diesel and gasoline versions, the engine is based on a strong and compact aluminum block. Sharing the same bore, stroke, cylinder spacing and 500cc cylinder capacity, these blocks allow flexibility for future development of smaller or larger engine options. This modular design also enables both gasoline and diesel variants to share common internal components and calibration strategies. This reduced complexity simplifies manufacturing and raises quality while allowing for quick reaction to changes in global demand.
All diesel and gasoline Ingenium variants will be equipped with turbochargers that improve performance, particularly at low speeds, and help reduce fuel consumption and emissions. Additional features include high-pressure central direct fuel injection, variable valve timing and start-stop technology.
The Ingenium engine is undergoing a series of integrity and durability tests, which include more than 72,000 hours of dynomometer testing and two million miles of real-world testing, to ensure these engines will meet and exceed all customer expectations. The first Ingenium engine to go into production, a 2.0-litre diesel will be known as AJ200D.
Technology
The Ingenium engine features innovations that will deliver outstanding low-end torque, effortless acceleration and excellent emissions performance with low fuel consumption. To accomplish this, a strong focus has been placed on reducing internal friction of powertrain components.
Ingenium engines feature six key technologies that combine to reduce friction, increase refinement and improve performance. They include:
- Roller bearings on cam and balancer shafts, instead of machined bearing surfaces.
- Computer-controlled variable oil pumps that save energy by delivering the optimum amount of oil at all speeds, engine loads and temperatures.
- Computer-controlled variable water pumps that adjust the amount of coolant flow, based on temperature, speed and driving conditions. The split circuit (two path) cooling system offers the benefit of lowered emissions by enabling fast warm ups, and also quick cabin heat on cold days.
- Simplified cam drive system designed for modular applications.
- Crankshafts that are offset from the center of the block.
- Electronically controlled piston cooling jets to improve efficiency in the oil pump circuit. These jets are switched off when piston cooling is not needed. They also enable the engine to quickly reach its operating temperature, helping to reduce emissions.
Key Role in Vehicle Weight Reduction
Jaguar Land Rover is a specialist in the production of aluminum-bodied vehicles. The introduction of the Ingenium engine unites the company’s aluminum chassis expertise with powertrains specifically designed and calibrated to complement reduced weight vehicles. Despite adding features and increasing power output, Ingenium engines weigh as much as 176 lbs. (80 kg) less than today’s equivalent engines.
Courtesy of JaguarUSA.com.
The post Jaguar’s New Ingenium Engine Family Unveiled appeared first on Engine Builder Magazine.
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Apple is about to invade our cars in a big way
A technological revolution is about to take place within the automotive industry and Apple could be leading the charge. ABI Research published a report on Wednesday predicting that over 24 million cars will be fitted with Apple’s CarPlay by 2019. When Apple launched CarPlay earlier this year, only select Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo models were compatible with the software, but dozens of other manufacturers have signed on to include CarPlay functionality in the future, including Ford, BMW, Audi, Toyota and Nissan.
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HTC One (M8) sales reportedly slowing
HTC finally managed to turn things around in the second quarter as its cost-cutting efforts managed to yield a slight unaudited profit of $75 million. Revenue continued to slide despite supposedly solid sales of the company’s flagship HTC One (M8) smartphone, however, and things could get even worse moving forward. According to new claims, sales of HTC’s latest hero phone are already slowing down.
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GO TO THE APP STORE RIGHT NOW and get great discounts on several top paid apps
It’s been six years since Apple first unleashed its App Store onto the world and to celebrate several popular paid apps are going on sale for a limited time. As MacRumors documents, you can now get popular apps such as Monument Valley, Threes!, Lost Toys and Drafts for iPad at big discounts of between 50% and 80%. MacRumors also directs our attention to AppShopper’s big list of discounts that will give you a comprehensive look at which apps are getting their prices cut and for how long. In the six years since its launch, the App Store has paid out more than $15 billion to developers and has served as the blueprint for other app stores such as Google Play. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate its birthday by getting some super-cheap apps of our own.
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