Toyota overtakes Volkswagen in Auto Sales following Emissions Scandal

October 27, 2015

Volkswagen has been pulled off the top spot of global car sales by Toyota following its emission scandal, signalling that some consumers are losing confidence in VW.

As the emission-rigging scandal takes full effect, Toyota has reclaimed the leadership in global car sales, and only time can tell how long Volkswagen will be down as this emission scandal is ragging.

Earlier this month, Volkswagen reported that it sold 7.43 million vehicles in the nine months of 2015, and the report that Toyota released was that it has sold 7.5 million, with the highest number of sales coming in the past two months after the Volkswagen scandal started, although both Volkswagen and Toyota each had a 1.5% fall in its sales.

After Volkswagen’s admission that it had fitted its cars with a software device to manipulate emissions in the US test, a lot of people have lost confidence in Volkswagen and that could explain why there has been a sudden fall in the sale of its cars.

Volkswagen’s dream of being the leading and biggest car seller was realized earlier this year after it got more car sales than it’s rival Toyota, but that position was not held for long as its emission scandal has now forced a decline in the number of vehicles sold.

Volkswagen is now preparing to repair over 11 million vehicles worldwide, so it has halted the sales of diesel car models in most of the world’s markets.

David Bailey, a professor of industrial strategy at Aston University’, said:

“Volkswagen should say goodbye to being the biggest car seller in the world for the foreseeable future. We have not yet seen the full impact of the scandal and the damage it will do to the firm, but as for now, their (Volkswagen) diesel market in the world has been killed.”

Even when it was the biggest seller in the world, many analysts have predicted that Volkswagen was masking some of its underlying problems, and true to the insinuation, Volkswagen which had controlled the China market suffered its fall in Chinese sales even before the scandal erupted.

The desire to beat quality has cost Volkswagen dearly and this month, they have announced a strategic overhaul to concentrate on electric and hybrid vehicles and to revamp all its diesel cars and vans with a cleaner exhaust emission system.

BMW unveils 2016 MINI Convertible, targets March 2016 launch

Emmanuel

October 23, 2015

Automobile giants Bayerische Motoren Werke, BMW, will make its much awaited 2016 MINI Cooper Convertible available in March next year according to a news release by the company.

The BMW group is expected to start offering the Cooper and Cooper S trims variants next year, which is about two years after the Hardtop update and the Clubman introduction.

The 2016 MINI Cooper Convertible is much anticipated as it’s packed with a load of goodies and awesome features.

Its exterior features circular headlamps, rear lights with chrome surrounds and hexagonal radiator grille.

The 2016 MINI convertible is less mini in terms of dimensions than its predecessors. It is now 98mm longer, 44mm wider and 7mm taller than the vehicle it replaces.

The length, width and height of the car now stand at 3821mm, 1727mm and 1415mm, respectively.

Motorists can drop the full retractable soft top on the 2016 MINI Convertible while it’s traveling at speeds of up to 18 mph and the total transition to topless takes about 18 seconds.

When a rollover threatens to turn a drive tragic, the Convertible’s two rollover protection bars will deploy to protect the occupants and prevent the car from flipping over. The first of its kind, a pyrotechnical trigger deploys the high-strength aluminum bars in less than 150 milliseconds.

The 2016 MINI Convertible is available with three-cylinder and four-cylinder engines. The three-cylinder 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine develops 134bhp and 220Nm while the 1.5-litre diesel engine develops 114bhp and 270Nm.

The powerful S version employs an in-line four-cylinder 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine that churns out 189bhp and 280Nm.

The engine, propelled by a six-speed manual gearbox powers the convertible to reach 0 to 100kmph in 7.2 seconds with a top speed of 230kmph. The same engine mated to six-speed automatic reaches 100kmph in 7.1 seconds with a top speed of 228kmph.

The new model is available in 11 colors including the new Caribbean Aqua shade.

Pricing however won’t be announced until January 2016.

“The new MINI Convertible has a great balance of playful personalization and sophistication. It’s open-top driving without compromise,”

David Duncan, vice president MINI of the Americas said.

“The bespoke levels of customization set it apart from other convertibles on the market, while the front wheel drive BMW architecture and engines make it fun-to-drive and practical in any driving conditions,”

he added.

Wireless Xbox One Controller Adapter for Windows Launches

John Adebimitan

October 22, 2015

Back in June 2015, Microsoft announced the Xbox One Wireless Adapter for Windows. As part of its commitment to to bringing Xbox gaming experience to the Windows 10 PC and a desire to meet the ever high expectations of consumers, Microsoft has now released an accessory that offers Xbox experience on Windows.

Starting October 22, Microsoft has officially began shipping the Xbox One Wireless controller to retailers around the world.

Microsoft took a strategic step to increase sales and availability of the accessory by shipping it in large quantities to retailers round the world.

The device was first shipped to some of the leading game playing countries to give a major boost to the sales of the first batches.

Using the Xbox One Wireless Adapter for Windows is really easy; you simply plug the Adapter into the USB 2.0 or the USB 3.0 port of your Windows 10 PC, laptop or tablet.

After plugging the Xbox Adapter into the USB port you have to bind the Adapter to your Wireless controller to enjoy your games.

The Xbox Adapter gives a gaming experience comparable to that of the Xbox One – the gaming experience that gamers are used to.

You also enjoy the in-game chat and high quality stereo audio. The Xbox Wireless controller can accommodate an upward of eight controllers per unit, and up to four chat headsets or two stereo headsets.

This new device makes gaming become more real, more engaging and more interesting on a PC. The Xbox Wireless Adapter comes with a sleek design; it’s easy to use and easy to learn.

The Adapter will make us enjoy playing games like Minecraft, Fable Legends and Gears of War.

The Xbox Wireless Adapter for Windows is now selling for $25 USD (5,000 Naira), but if a buyer wants it together with an Xbox one Wireless controller, the price sums up at $80 USD (16,000 Naira).

All New Mercedes-Maybach S-Class Is Here

John Adebimitan

October 22, 2015

The Mercedes Maybach S-Class is a new invention that redefines everything about luxury. Sometime ago, Mercedes discontinued the production of the Maybach series with the hope of redefining the car to be up to the standard set in the automobile industry.

The production of the Mercedes Maybach is well calculated and well planned by the top rated automaker.

The new car has luxury raised to the highest level and these makes it possible for Mercedes to break newer grounds again. These new car is sure to attract existing and new customers.

The Mercedes Maybach is 5453mm long and its wheel base is 3365mm, making it 20 cm larger than the S-Class Saloon car in dimensions.

Rear sitting passengers will also enjoy a larger space size and other standard equipment that include voice amplifications and executive seats. The Mercedes-Maybach S-Class is also the world’s quietest car.

This car combines stylish and effortless superiority with trend setting exclusivity. This model has also retained sleek, domed-shaped rooflines from the other cars in the S-Class, but some outstanding exterior features have been adapted to the Maybach.

When compared to the other S-Class cars, the Maybach is 207mm longer, thus increasing the level of comfort being derived.

The front centre arm rest is coated with Nappa leather upholstery which is produced with Maybach crests. Another cool feature in the car dashboard is the analogue clock that comes with an IWC design.

All numbers and indicators are milled and applied with fine metal and the analogue clock comes with amazing design underlining it.

The all new Mercedes-Maybach S-Class has a remarkable V8 Bi-turbo engine that comes with an output of 335kw (455 hp), a maximum torque of 700 Nm is available from 1800rpm, 207g/km CC02 emissions, and its acceleration is simply remarkable with a speed of 250 km/h.

Xiaomi launches Android-Powered Mi TV 3 with 60-Inch 4K Display

John Adebimitan

October 21, 2015

Xiaomi launched the Mi TV 3 on Monday. This is a 60-inch television with a 4k display that looks just like the Mi TV 2 and previous generations of television sets from the company. The television was launched in China the home market of Xiaomi.

The Xiaomi Mi TV 3 features a 60-inch 4k display from LG, and the display comes with a full aluminum frame running on the sides.

The slim Mi TV 3 is 11.6mm thick and it is powered by an MStar 6A928 processor with Cortex-A 17 and Mali T760 GPU.

It has an 8 GB eMMC 5.0 flash as the internal storage memory, but as respects the RAM module Xiaomi hasn’t said anything yet.

The Mi TV 3 also comes with an ability to be super connected because of its three HDMI ports, two USB ports, one VGA port, one Ethernet port, one AV in port, one output for subwoofer and a standard RF modulator.

In terms of its audio capabilities, the Mi TV 3 features a Virtual Surround technology, deep bass and dialogue enhanced tool with an Auto Volume Balance support.

Xiaomi said that the acoustics for the television was put together by Grammy award winning star Luca Bugnardi and Wang Fuyu who is the former research head at Philips acoustics.

The speaker bar is made of four mid-range 2.5-inch subwoofers and it interestingly comes with the television’s main board.

The company said that it separated the processor board from the screen, thus reducing the replacement cost of all internal components and improving the life cycle of the TV.

For now Mi TV 3 is available for sales in China, but Xiaomi has kept mum concerning its international availability.

But considering the company’s plan to make it available in the United States and some other selected locations, it is possible that the TV travel farther than anticipated.

Microsoft Office 2016 goes Global

John Adebimitan

October 15, 2015

Microsoft has finally begun rolling out the MS Office 2016 which is the latest edition of its Office productivity suite, including its cloud-based subscription service Office 365.

Office 2016 will be bringing new versions of desktop apps for windows including Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook and Access. These new versions will allow users to work and collaborate together without strain.

The chief executive officer of Microsoft Satya Nadella said in a statement,

“These latest improvements will be another important step forward in the bid to transform the Microsoft Office from a set of familiar individual productivity apps to a connected set of apps and services that is designed for the modern workstation”.

Sometime ago, Microsoft launched its much awaited Windows 10 operating system that was designed to work on laptops, desktops and Smartphones. This has been part of Nadella’s push towards winning back the lost ground in the mobile and tablet arena.

The Office 2016 works on laptops,desktops and smartphones

The latest product from Microsoft provides built-in intelligence tools that allow users create and update files in the cloud from the desktop, use a new smart lookup feature to integrate an insight from the web into any Office document and publish data directly from Excel in Power BI.

The Office 2016 offers Skype in-app and Office 365 group integration, and a new “Tell Me” search tool has been included in the Word program.

The most useful change that was discovered in the Office 2016 is that multiple people can now co-author documents in Word, One Note and PowerPoint in real time, a feature that was previously reserved for only the Office web apps.

All these new features have been accompanied by a better enterprise security and protection, giving all users of the Office 2016 the needed safety, security and privacy while making use of the latest innovation from Microsoft.

Subscribers to Office 365 will soon be getting notification to migrate to Office 2016. However, if you can’t wait to use it you can download it at your Office account profile.

Already the Office 2016 is now available in Nigeria’s leading online store, Jumia. Available at the store, include the Office Home & Student 2016 and Office Home & Business 2016. Checkout here

Hulu to launch a virtual reality app for Samsung Gear VR in November

Jia Khan

October 13, 2015

Hulu, the popular video streaming service, plans to launch a VR application in November to be interfaced with the Samsung Gear VR headset, according to a CNET report.

This $99 Virtual Reality device will surface next month, way ahead of the competitors Oculus, Sony etc. Currently, a $199 device from Hulu is available in the market but the company as well as the tech-savvy enthusiasts have high expectations pinned on the low priced version with enhanced features as well as specs.

The statement by Tim Connolly, Hulu’s Head Distribution, was pumped full of energy and depicted the company’s high anticipations from the launch. He said:

“We’re ready to fly.We consider that this task will help us in gaining a stronger position as an innovator and be there at first for which others are planning”

Hulu is making much progress in the Virtual reality domain and new devices are making their mark already. Some rumors have also surfaced regarding the media giant Hulu stating that the company is designing some sort of device setup that can be viewed through 3D only. Hulu is also working on a short VR film called “The Big One”.

With this particular app, users will be able to view sort of enhanced 2D (that is still in implementation phase by the company) in addition to watching the 2D effects.

Hulu thinks of this app as an interaction to transport viewers into a different world. This implies that a person who is virtualized can roam about in a virtual room, sit there and even watch 2D video content. The company aims to evolve into content development in future.

Hulu will probably work on a series of Virtual Reality devices that will feature only 2D formats to experience through the Gear VR set. This app can be utilized with several Samsung phones including the Galaxy S6, S6 Edge and Note 5 flagships that are to be released next month.

Expectations as well as competition are really high as Hulu’s competitors, especially Oculus, have set a difficult target.

Microsoft Hololens Prices at $3000 for Developer Edition, Shipping Q1 2016

Jia Khan

October 8, 2015

Microsoft has announced the opening price and estimated availability of its Windows-10 powered Hololens augmented reality headset. The company said they will make HoloLens kits available in the first quarter of the coming year.

According to Terry Myerson, Executive VP of Microsoft Windows and devices group,

“Whether it’s for productivity, a health care, design or entertainment, HoloLens creates experiences that aren’t possible on any other device, or any other platform.”

The kit containing a head gear and a battery – operated Windows computer with generating capabilities of 3D CG objects will cost $3000 for the initial edition targeted at developers.

The Hololens will initially be sold on invite-only basis and company is now accepting applications on its website.

The high price indicates that the product is not consumer-oriented and is designed to cater a particular segment of the market.

According to Microsoft, the Hololens headsets are meant to serve commercial customers and developers. The company though has not yet revealed the number of kits they are planning to release but Microsoft has already contacted NASA and some other professionals.

The good part is that the development edition is totally cordless and can be used without any physical wire.

The HoloLens functionality was illustrated using Project Xray which is an augmented reality game and showed how shooting game can be played while sitting in a living room.

For those who are interested, Microsoft is looking for professional, creative developers who can contribute to build a high-powered community.

HoloLens along with its exceptional build and unique AR experience is certainly a choice of modern developers to contribute towards a dynamic tomorrow.

It’s now up to the creative developers to use this device to develop new platforms and other interactive creations.

Free Microsoft Course Teaches Absolute Beginners to code Windows 10 Apps

Jia Khan

October 5, 2015

Microsoft recently introduced a course named ‘Windows 10 development for absolute beginners’. As the name implies, this course specifically caters those with very little programming background.

According to Microsoft, just a basic intro to C# will be required and sufficient. To serve the purpose, the company recommends its ‘C# Fundamentals’ first.

The ‘Absolute Beginner’ series will assist the amateurs in developing Universal Windows Platform apps compatible with various devices including phones, tablets, personal computers, Xbox, HoloLens and Raspberry Pi.

The course will act as a guide of creating Windows 10 apps on the UWP. Bob will give new challenges, assists in creating a cheat sheet and unveil the techniques and procedures in a friendly manner.

The course has been designed in two parts. First past depicts the simple way of making an app. Followed by a guideline to develop full-fledged apps including:

A weather app with map functionality: The sample app allows users to make calls to external web services for retrieval of data from third party.

A soundboard capable of playing funny sounds: Video#49 will allow users to develop an app by permitting them to filter sounds by category.

An album cover matching game: This sample app will allow the users to access documents, images and music from the known folders.

An encyclopedia of marvel characters with Cortana integration: Finally, video 71 will allow the users to explore the Universe heroic characters with the help of their API. This sample app also demonstrates the inclusion of Cortana integration into an app.

For all aspiring developers, Microsoft’s Beginners Guide will definitely serve as a groundbreaking experience. Checkout the Guide

LG launches its Watch Urbane 2

Jia Khan

October 4, 2015

Following the huge success of Watch Urbane, LG has released a new and updated second version christened Urbane 2. LG Watch Urbane 2 immediately stands out for its attention to detail and sleek design but what makes this stunning Watch a delightful gadget is the option of cellular network connectivity.

Powered by Android Wear OS, LG Watch Urbane 2 is remarkable in its design and functionality as it does not require smartphone integration to work.

The wearable comes with support for cellular connectivity including connectivity options like 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. LG claims Watch Urbane 2 is water and dust-resistant which earned it IP67 certification.

LG has been quite happy with the design of the Watch Urbane 2 and flaunted it in a statement saying

“hairline-etched in the stainless steel body and durable hypoallergenic TPSiV™ elastomer band.”

In addition to the conventional crown button,two new buttons have been added on the right-hand side of the dial that provide the user a quick access option so as to navigate device.

LG Watch Urbane 2 display is an amazing 1.38-inches P-OLED screen, which comes supported with a resolution of 480 x 480 pixels and a pixel density of 348 pixels per square inch.

LG Watch Urbane 2 is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 400 SoC at 1.2 GHz with 768 MB RAM and 4 GB of internal storage space.

Urbane 2 will be powered by a 570 mAh battery which comes with a Power Saving Mode for prolonged usage. Fitness conscious consumers would love the heart-rate monitoring, stress level tracking and workout tips features of LG Watch Urbane 2.

LG Watch Urbane 2 will be released only in the U.S. and Korea initially. Later the smartwatch will hit Europe, CIS, Asia and Middle East markets.

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