Porsche to announce two new variants of the Panamera at the Los Angeles Auto Show

Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, Panamera 4S, Panamera 4S Diesel, Panamera Turbo, 2016, Porsche AG. Image: Porsche.

By tech2 News Staff /  16 Nov 2016 , 16:04

Porsche is expected to announce two new variants of its second-generation 2017 Panamera sport sedan range at the Los Angeles Auto Show. According to reports, the new variants will include a new base model Panamera along with a long-wheelbase Panamera 4 Executive version. The new variants will join the Panamera 4S and 4 E-Hybrid which are expected to launch in January 2017.

CEO Oliver Blume with the new Panamera 4 E-Hybrid. Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, 2016, Porsche AG

The new basic variant will come in a rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) options. It will be powered by a new turbocharged, 2.9-liter V-6 engine that generates 330 bhp mated with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. According to the company, the rear-wheel drive variant is accelerates from 0-100 kmph in 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 264 kmph.

Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, 2016, Porsche AG. Image: Porsche.

As for the long-wheelbase Panamera 4 Executive, it comes with 5.9 inches of extra rear legroom and will come with an all-wheel drive option. The long-wheelbase Executive versions will be offered as Panamera 4 Executive (330 bhp); Panamera 4 E-Hybrid Executive (462 bhp); Panamera 4S Executive (440 bhp); and Panamera Turbo Executive (550 bhp).

Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, 2016, Porsche AG. Image: Porsche.

The Executive variant has comes with a panorama roof, heated electronically-adjustable front and rear seats and adaptive air suspension with an electronically controlled damper system. The Panamera 4S Executive and Panamera Turbo Executive add more standard features including rear-axle steering and what Porsche calls soft-close doors. The Panamera Turbo Executive offers standard 4-zone climate control, LED headlights featuring Porsche’s Dynamic Light System, and ambient interior lighting.

Panamera 4 E-Hybrid, 2016, Porsche AG. Image: Porsche.

All the 2017 Panamera Executive models will feature an optional large rear center console, and the latest generation of Porsche’s rear-entertainment system. There will be two 10.1-inch displays in the backrests of the front seats that can be detached for more functionality or just be used as tablets.

Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet launched: Adds pizzazz, exclusivity and a price

By tech2 News Staff /  16 Nov 2016 , 16:09

Contrary to what Porsche does, Mercedes-Maybach is into the habit of adding more “things” to its cars as the price tag creeps higher. With the just launched Mercedes-Maybach S650 Cabriolet it does just that, adding plenty of goodies to what was already a powerful cabriolet with the Mercedes-Benz S65AMG.

Apart from the classy add-ons that make this S650 a Maybach, you also have to keep in mind that the price is set a over  Rs 2,19,92,720 and at that price you also get exclusivity; as only 300 convertibles will be produced.

It looks fabulous in red, but it is a wee bit disappointing that it just looks like tuned Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG Cabriolet with a few cosmetic changes. Those changes come in the form of new front-bumper and some chrome accents that you will find all over the convertible’s body.

There are Maybach badges on both sides and you get shiny new 20-inch bichromatic forged wheels.

However, it is the interiors that have changed, something that adds that extra oomph and the Maybach luxury. There’s waterfall inspired upholstery and diamond ring quilting that should impress perspective buyers.

And obviously one can tell the exclusivity when there is a chrome-plated ‘1 of 300’ sitting in the center console between the two front seats. As with all things Maybach, there’s also the four-piece luggage set and a car cover with a diamond quilted design.

Under the hood there’s a 6.0-litre V12 that produces 625bhp and 738lb ft of torque, which should be enough to propel the owner and three other passengers (including the car) from 0-60mph in just 4.1 seconds.

Super Mario Run will be available on iOS from 15 December across 151 countries

By tech2 News Staff /  16 Nov 2016 , 11:04

Mario will finally arrive on the smartphone platform. Nintendo made the big announcement at the Apple iPhone 7 event and had promised that the new game titled Super Mario Run will arrive on iOS and later on Android.

Well now we have a date for the launch, well at least for Apple owners. According to an official release by Nintendo, Super Mario Run will be available for download from 15 December. It will be compatible with iPhone, iPad and iPod touch running iOS 8.0 and above and will support English, Japanese, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Russian and traditional Chinese language options.

The game will have $9.99 (Rs 660 approx) price tag which will offer unlimited access to all the three game modes. There will be a free version as well that will offer limited gameplay to all the three modes of the title.

The game is combination endless runner genre and the classic Mario gameplay. Players will have to tap on the screen to make an always running Mario jump over obstacles, enemies, collect coins and reach the course-ending flagpole. At the time the time of its announcement, it was said that Mario would travel across classic stages to collect as many coins as possible in a set time limit. The game will be playable with just one hand and will offer several worlds to explore in the game. The game will also feature a multiplayer mode called Toad Rally that will let you race against people on your friends list.

Nintendo has confirmed that the new game will reach 151 countries beginning 15 December and yes, India is on the list. Still no news as to when the game will arrive on the Android platform.

Another Samsung smartphone explodes, this time it’s the Galaxy S7

By tech2 News Staff /  16 Nov 2016 , 10:44

Just when you thought the exploding smartphones (Galaxy Note 7) were taken care of, a new smartphone has been reported to blow up. According to Amarjit Mann, he felt his Galaxy S7 phone getting warm in his pocket while he was driving. As soon as he took it out, it exploded in his hand causing second degree burns on his hands and third-degree burns on his wrist.

The owner of the smartphone added that the burning handset was stuck to his hand before he was able to throw it out of his car’s window, “This is a nightmare for me, I’ve never seen anything like this. I should’ve lost my eyes, or my cheeks or anything could have happened. I luckily threw it outside. It should have damaged my whole car. I just saw smoke and nothing else.”

Now before you panic, let us tell you that not all Galaxy S7 smartphone are exploding. It was probably one of the few unlucky units that faced an unprecedented battery failure. For that matter, even a few iPhone devices have been reported to explode.

However the news is something that the company should worry about as it recently issues a worldwide recall and halted production of the Galaxy Note 7 as the smartphone was catching on fire as well as exploding. Samsung also had reportedly recalled 2.8 million washing machines in the US as they were falling apart and hurting consumers during usage. If the exploding cases continue, Samsung is going to have a rough time.

WhatsApp temporarily pauses user data sharing with Facebook in Europe

Representational image: Reuters

  16 Nov 2016 , 10:31

WhatsApp has temporarily suspended giving parent company Facebook information about users in Europe for ad targeting, responding to concerns there over privacy, a source close to the matter said Tuesday. Conversations with officials in Europe over the past few months resulted in the social network deciding to only tapping into WhatsApp user data there for purposes such as fighting spam, according to the source.

The break was described as an effort to give regulators time to share privacy concerns and for Facebook to consider ways to address them. German data protection authorities in September cited privacy concerns when they blocked Facebook from collecting subscriber data from WhatsApp there.

“It has to be (the users’) decision whether they want to connect their account with Facebook,” Hamburg’s Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information Johannes Caspar said at the time. “Facebook has to ask for their permission in advance.”

WhatsApp announced in August that it would begin sharing data with Facebook, in a bid to allow better targeted advertising and to combat spam on the platform. Users of the instant messenger were given the ability to opt out of sending information to Facebook through settings in WhatsApp’s applications on smartphones.

European data protection group G29 formally expressed its concerns at the end of October. The G29 sent letters asking Facebook and WhatsApp to stop sharing data until appropriate legal safeguards were in place. The sharing of WhatsApp user information with Facebook went beyond what subscribers consented to in the original terms of service, the G29 reasoned.

Facebook bought WhatsApp about two years ago in a deal valued about $19 billion. In mid-September, the European Commission recommended tighter privacy and security requirements for services including WhatsApp and Microsoft-owned video calling service Skype, saying they should be regulated more like traditional telecoms.

Under the proposal, the commission would require companies like WhatsApp or Skype to offer emergency-calling services when customers dial traditional phone numbers as well as obey stricter privacy rules.

AFP

Google announces major investment in London assuring commitment to post-Brexit UK

Image Credits: Reuters

  16 Nov 2016 , 09:34

Google delivered a vote of confidence in London’s future as a technological hub after the Brexit vote on Tuesday by announcing plans for a new building in the King’s Cross area of the city that will house thousands of extra engineers. Google’s Chief Executive Sundar Pichai said computer science had a great future in Britain, citing the talent pool, educational institutions, and passion for innovation present in the country.

“That’s why we are investing in London in both engineering talent and infrastructure,” he said. The 10-storey building, Google’s first wholly owned and designed outside the United States, will increase its presence in King’s Cross to more than 1 million square feet, enough for more than 7,000 employees in total, the company said.

Google has 5,700 employees and contractors in the UK, including about 2,000 engineers housed in the recently opened building in King’s Cross where Pichai announced the expansion. Pichai, who became CEO in October 2015 when parent company Alphabet Inc was created, said he was optimistic about Britain’s future, despite the uncertainty caused by June’s vote to leave the European Union.

“Historically, the UK has been an open and connected economy, and like a lot of businesses we are proud of and rely on the fact that we recruit the best talent from around world,” he said. “We are optimistic that this situation will continue.” “We understand there is uncertainty and even concerns about topics like Brexit and the pace of technological change in our times, but we know for certain that web and digital technology will be an engine of growth for the UK for years to come.”

British Finance Minister Philip Hammond said the investment showed leading firms were still choosing to invest in Britain, while the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said inflows remain “robust” post-Brexit. “London isn’t just the tech capital of Europe, we are on the shoulder of New York and we are catching up with Silicon Valley,” Khan said at the event.

“Investment into the capital post-Brexit remains robust, so Google’s expansion will further strengthen our city’s reputation as a global leader in digital technology.” Pichai made reference in his speech to another event that exposed a division in a western society: the U.S. election. “Recent events, including the election in the U.S., have clearly surfaced challenges with inequality and people feeling marginalized,” he said.

These were “long-term and difficult” problems to solve, he said, but it was his hope that Google would play a constructive role in addressing some of these challenges. The company, along with Facebook, on Monday announced measures aimed at halting the spread of “fake news” on the internet by targeting how some purveyors of phony content make money: advertising. The shifts comes as Google, Facebook and Twitter Inc face a backlash over the role they played in the U.S. presidential election by allowing the spread of false and often malicious information that might have swayed voters toward Republican candidate Donald Trump, who won the Nov. 8 vote.

Reuters

Google uses machine learning to upscale and enhance low quality photos

Image: Google

By Aditya Madanapalle /  15 Nov 2016 , 18:36

Image upscaling is often made fun of in movies and television series, for extracting impossible levels of image information from low quality, blurry photos. Typically law enforcement agencies approach a technician with blurry images, and after a few keystrokes, a high resolution images suddenly emerges. Google has developed technology called Rapid and Accurate Image Super-Resolution (RAISR), that actually works similar to what is shown in this clip from CSI.

The technology is not just for law enforcement agencies. The rapid evolution of both cameras and screens means that all of us have collections of older low resolution photos that we look at in newer high resolution screens. While there are upscaling and enhancing techniques around, none of them can fill in the missing information. Mostly, these algorithms work by guessing pixels based on the pixels nearby, creating aliasing artifacts. Google has a machine learning approach that does not directly bring in the missing image information, but does preserve and build on the underlying structure.

Google RAISR in action. Image: Google.

The technique uses machine learning to train on two sets of images, a high resolution version, and a low resolution version. The machine generates a set of filters that compares the two versions, and then enhances the low resolution image with the filters. If a high resolution image is not available, the technique can still be used. The AI is trained on the upscaled image based on traditional linear upscaling techniques.

Image: Google

RAISR can be used on mobile phones as well, and processes the images 10 to 100 times faster than traditional methods. The enhanced images are less blurry than current approaches. The RAISR technique can be used to improve pinch to zoom functionality in mobile phones. Lower resolution images can be sent over communication services to conserve on bandwidth, and these images can be restored to the original quality by the recipient.

You can see more examples of RAISR in action here.