Technology

German automaker BMW has announced the introduction of an exclusive limited edition 7 Series V12 Bi-Turbo in Japan. Powered by 554 HP coming from its twin-turbo 6.0-liter V12, this Japan exclusive 7 Series sports an M aerodynamic package that comes with dark chrome finish for the exhaust tailpipes and kidney grille and 21-inch V-spoke alloys wheels. Inside, the German flagship vehicle will greet its Japanese cos... (continue reading >>)

RT @kennethhite: I know nothing about your computainments, but this one will be set in 19th c. Kingsport if it funds:

More spyshots from the Nurburgring, this time of the upcoming BMW M4. The folks at Munich are very busy with coupes these days, with the 2-Series and 4-Series coupes slated for launch in the near future. By the way, the 2-Series is the coupe version of the 1-Series, and the 4 is the two-door 3-Series. You’ve already seen the regular BMW 4-Series and the M Sport kitted version on this website, now here’s a peek at the range topping BMW M4. Note that the test mule is not in black, which possibly means that BMW have gone to the next level of testing – more like pre-production cars then prototypes. This can only mean that we’re closer to launch. Other notable hints include an aggressive front bumper with inverted V-shaped air intakes, quad exhausts, wider wheel arches, a small hump on the hood visible in the profile shot and big brakes. Speaking of brakes, this mule is testing out the M Carbon Ceramic Brakes with gold calipers. It is expected that the rorty, rev-happy NA V8 of the current car will make way for a turbocharged inline-six. As a big fan of the outgoing E92 BMW M3, I’m a little worried that the new M4 won’t have character to match its undoubted speed. Prove me wrong, please! The BMW 4-Series is a sleek and handsome coupe, and you can see it in the metal, without an inch of disguise here. The post SPYSHOTS: BMW M4 Coupe pounding the ‘Ring appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News. Related posts: SPIED: Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe on the ‘Ring VIDEO: BMW 2-Series Coupe roaming the Nurburgring SPY VIDEO: BMW 1-Series GT on test at the ‘Ring SPYSHOTS: BMW M4 Coupe on test at the ‘Ring SPYSHOTS: BMW 2-Series 235i on the Nurburgring BMW 4 Series with M Sport pack on the ‘Ring SPYSHOTS: Subaru Impreza WRX STI at the ‘Ring SPYSHOTS: BMW 2 Series Coupe, including interior SPYSHOTS: New BMW M5 facelift shows its new eyes SPIED: Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG on the ‘Ring

AT&T Opens Up iPhone, 4G LTE Access to Pre-Paid GoPhone Users is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.Starting as early as today, AT&T Mobility is opening up its networks to provide pre-paid users under its GoPhone brand with more access and choice. The wireless company will be offering not only the iPhone access to GoPhone plans, but will also open up its 4G HSPA+ and LTE network to GoPhone users for faster data speeds while on a prepaid voice and data plan. An official announcement is still forthcoming, but Engadget and Mac Rumors are both reporting the early news. The carrier says that Visual Voicemail access will also be supported for Windows Phone 7.5 or newer phones, Apple 3GS or newer devices with at least iOS 6.0, or compatible Android handsets. To partake in the new GoPhone plans, which start at $25 and go as high as $65 per month for pre-paid subscribers, AT&T says you must “must own an iPhone/HSPA+/LTE device, or purchase a device in store at the no-commitment price for use with new 4G/LTE GoPhone service.” This is a change from what we’ve been seeing with Verizon, which is still locking prepaid users to 3G-only data access, limiting faster 4G LTE speeds for more lucrative post-paid contract customers, though Big Red does offer up to 2 GB of data on its $70 prepaid option. Rival Sprint has been opening up its 4G LTE network as well. The $25 and $50 comes with unlimited text and either 250 minutes or unlimited minutes respectively, but both plans lack a data package. Users can add $5 for 50 MB, $15 for 250 MB or $25 for 1 GB of data additional per month on top. For users who select the $65 prepaid plan, that option includes 1 GB of data on top of unlimited texting and calling. While the amount of data offered is still limited, prepaid users can still stay within an affordable range if they don’t use too much data or confine most of their data usage to WiFi access. AT&T Opens Up iPhone, 4G LTE Access to Pre-Paid GoPhone Users is a post by Chuong Nguyen from Gotta Be Mobile.

BMW’s regular 1-Series coupe and convertible are about to be replaced by new 2-Series-badged cars, with prototypes for both versions having been spotted testing on several occasions and a world debut expected soon. But what about a successor to the highly praised 1-Series M Coupe? According to a new report, a successor is planned and could...

Enterprise-oriented cloud storage firm Box has acquired Folders, an iOS app used to manage files from cloud storage services. The purchase, for an undisclosed amount, will see the technology behind the app rolled into Box's own iOS app, with Folders developer Martin Destagnol being drafted in to help with its integration....

Check out our replay of Big in Asia, where we check out the Xbox-exclusive title Idolm@ster: Live For You!

Before the fireworks are blown at year’s end more than a quarter of a million Australians will sign for a small hatchback or sedan, of which about 75 per cent will pick one of the eight nameplates featured in this test. This is the biggest, most relevant test of the year. The catalyst for this mega-comparison is the arrival of the new Volkswagen Golf. It joins the Ford Focus, Holden Cruze, Honda Civic Hatch, Hyundai i30, Mazda 3, Opel Astra and Toyota Corolla in the battle for small car supremacy. Mid-spec, petrol-engined, automatic-equipped hatchbacks were chosen, with prices ranging from $23,000-28,500 on test. Another two models could have been added, though the five-door hatchback versions of the Kia Cerato and Nissan Pulsar hadn’t quite landed in time for this test. Some models gained an early lead for price and equipment. Interiors were then measured, with each model ranked for space and practicality. A pothole- and speedhump-ridden urban drive loop was conducted to find the most comfortable contender. A longer country road drive then established each car’s level of drivetrain punch, seat comfort, refinement, and steering and handling prowess. Back at home base, after 500km of driving, calculators were tapped to find real-world running costs over four years/60,000km. Let the sport begin… PRICE AND EQUIPMENT Cheapest car in the field is the $22,950 Honda Civic VTi-S Hatch. Standard are 16-inch alloy wheels, auto off lights, single-zone climate control, cruise control, reversing camera, and Bluetooth audio and phone connectivity. At $24,690, the Holden Cruze SRi adds larger 17-inch alloys, a bodykit, fog lights, seven-inch touchscreen, auto-on headlights and part-leather seats; but misses climate control and a reversing camera – it only gets rear sensors. Battling within $100 of each other are the $26,490 Mazda 3 Maxx Sport and $26,590 Hyundai i30 Elite. Both include satellite navigation and dual-zone climate control, but the Mazda gets 17-inch wheels to the Hyundai’s 16s, and neither get part-leather trim like the Holden. Most disappointingly the Mazda gets neither a reversing camera nor parking sensors. The Volkswagen Golf 90TSI is $27,490 when optioned with the $3500 Comfortline pack that brings 16-inch alloys, dual-zone air, ‘comfort’ front seats and rain sensing wipers, among other trim enhancements. It uniquely gets front parking sensors, in addition to rear sensors and a camera, but it misses fog lights. Two cars battle in the $28,000 range – we could only obtain the upper-middle-spec $28,190 Focus Sport, while the $28,740 Opel Astra Entry included a $2750 option pack. The Ford matches the Hyundai’s kit, but the Opel misses sat-nav and any form of climate control, and gets only 16-inch alloys. It is the second most expensive of the group and one of the least well equipped. As with Ford, Toyota could only supply a $30,490 Corolla Levin ZR instead of the requested $25,990 Levin SX. Although it matches the Focus Sport for standard equipment, and adds leather trim with front seat heaters, the ZR also costs $2300 more. From a price and equipment perspective, the Civic is the most impressive, packing middle-grade equipment for base grade pricing, while the i30 in particular leaves the Focus, Astra and Corolla looking overpriced. In terms of value beyond equipment, the Cruze SRi is the most powerful contender here, yet it is the second-cheapest. INTERIORS Turn from interior equipment to interior quality, however, and there is an obvious leader – the Volkswagen Golf. Soft-touch dash surfaces interplay with gunmetal-metallic dash inserts, tactile switchgear, intuitive controls and comfortable seats to spell ‘premium’ like no other car here. According to our tape measure, and with the front seat set to the position of a six-foot/183cm driver, the Golf offers a benchmark 285mm of rear legroom in addition to being the only car here with rear-seat air vents. Its 380-litre boot is also the third-largest here, behind Cr

Meet Helios, the smart handlebars. Well, they're bicycle handlebars, but we're still talking two wheels, right? Plus, they are extremely cool, both as a bike gadget and as a helpful upgrade to the non-motorized ride. Basically, the Helios handlebars are a 6-in-1 upgrade for the bike. First of all, they come with an integrated LED headlight, which makes additional light rather unnecessary for casual rides around the city or neigh... (continue reading >>)

The lower end of the Android tablet PC market is awash with cheap Chinese devices that don’t quite cut it when compared to market leader the Nexus 7, but the Hisense Sero 7 range of devices offer a worthy cheaper alternative. A few days ago the Hisense Sero Pro 7 tablet PC leaked but now the company has unveiled the device along with the cheaper Sero 7 LT, which will both be available from today at a number of Wal-Mart stores across the US for only $99 and $149. The cheaper model features a 7-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1024 x 600 and powered by a dual core processor clocked at 1.6GHz with 1GB of RAM running the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean operating system. There is only 4GB of internal memory but unlike the Nexus 7 this can be boosted by another 32GB via a microSD card, and you will also find a 0.3-megapixel front facing camera. But the Hisense Sero Pro 7 at only $149 looks the better option as the extra $50 gets you a whole lot more for your money. The Pro version of the device has a 7-inch screen but with a resolution of 1280 x 800 that has the quad core Nvidia Tegra 3 processor under the hood clocked at 1.3GHz also with 1GB of RAM but running the later Android 4.2 Jelly Bean firmware. You also get two cameras on this model with a 5-megapixel unit on the rear while around the front is a 2-megapixel unit, while internal storage is 8GB and expandable up to another 32GB, and you are also treated to Bluetooth and NFC connectivity as well. Currently it is not known if the devices will be available in other regions outside of the US, but we will keep you updated with release news. Source: TechRadar.