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Ford really, really wants you to know that it’s big on electric cars. Really. To that end, it’s putting $135 million where its mouth is as part of the design and production for the electrified vehicles rolling out to dealer lots this year, such as the Focus Electric. A new research building in Dearborn is also being renamed as the Advanced Electrification Center to emphasize the uniform dedication to EVs and hybrids among the 1,000 researchers that call the Center their home away from home. We already know that the company plans to triple its manufacturing capacity to make 100,000 of the cars a year by 2013, but many of the supporting aspects are getting their own lift, Ford adds: it’s hiring more engineers and doubling its battery testing capacity. The checklist of improvements you’ll find after the break reflects some braggadocio on Ford’s part, especially while it tries to stretch its jobs claims, but it’s good news all the same. If the expansion keeps the likes of GM and Tesla on their toes, drivers hopefully win as a whole.

Continue reading Ford underscores its love of electric cars, spends $135 million to make them happen

Filed under: Transportation

Ford underscores its love of electric cars, spends $135 million to make them happen originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 23:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Just in case you only thought Amazon, Netflix and Redbox were working the studio deals, HBO announced today it’s worked out an extension of its agreement with 20th Century Fox. Already the “premium network home” of Fox flicks for more than 30 years, this deal is long enough to keep it going into the next decade. The LA Times reports from its sources the the original deal would have expired in 2015, while the extension pushes it out to 2022 at a price of over $200 million per year. One key adjustment that’s been made for the digital age gives Fox the ability to continue to sell its movies over digital stores even while they’re airing on HBO unlike the previous deal, although we’re told this provision does not extend to rentals during that time. That’s on top of a previous tweak negotiated months ago that let Fox and other HBO partners provide digital copies of their movies on services like iTunes from the Cloud and Ultraviolet during the HBO pay window. One other note is that on the same day Netflix revealed its service is coming to several Scandinavian locales, HBO announced it’s doing the same, launching HBO Nordic in Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark.

Continue reading HBO and Fox cut a deal to keep the movies flowing through 2022, HBO Nordic launches soon

HBO and Fox cut a deal to keep the movies flowing through 2022, HBO Nordic launches soon originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 23:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony has been big on smartphone integration for car audio lately, having already launched its MirrorLink receivers earlier in the year for the more well-heeled drivers among us. The company is bringing that mobile tie-in down to Earth through a new quartet of in-car CD receivers. The MEX-GS600BT, MEX-BT4100P, MEX-BT3100P and CDX-GS500R all bring in App Remote, which lets the faceplate buttons steer local music or Pandora streaming radio coming from Android, BlackBerry, iOS and Walkman devices paired through a Bluetooth wireless link. The old-fashioned USB connection is still on offer for these and the HD Radio-toting CDX-GT710HD, while the whole collection can graft on the optional SXV200V1 tuner to carry the full Sirius XM satellite radio lineup. Differences across the line aren’t completely clear from Sony’s wording, although both the MEX-GS600BT and CDX-GS500R carry two USB ports as well as 5-volt RCA preamp outputs. You’ll be waiting awhile to slip any of these receivers into a DIN slot, regardless of which one you pick: the GS500R ships in October for $199, and the rest hit the shops in November for between $149 to $249.

Continue reading Sony unveils in-car receivers with App Remote, taps into your smartphone music from October

Filed under: Cellphones, Home Entertainment

Sony unveils in-car receivers with App Remote, taps into your smartphone music from October originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 22:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re hot and bothered by the Galaxy S III on Verizon and have a burning desire to get your grubby little mitts on some custom ROMs and kernels, then rejoice, because you’ll no longer have to plunk down $600 on the Developer Edition to partake in the fun. That’s right, the encrypted bootloader of Big Red’s Galaxy S III has now been unlocked. If you’re wanting to partake in the fun, you’ll find the requisite utility and a complete list of instructions over at xda-developers. As is, you’ll need either Linux or OS X to carry out the dirty work, though workarounds for Windows users are possible. Be sure to do a bit of soul-searching before pulling the trigger, however, as any future updates pose the risk of bricking your device. That said, if you dive straight into the world of custom ROMs, it’ll be much less of an issue.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

Update: Hit the break for a video that shows the process of unlocking the bootloader on Verizon’s Galaxy S III.

[Special thanks to Adam Outler and François Simond]

Continue reading Samsung Galaxy S III bootloader for Verizon can now be unlocked: take that, Big Red (update: video)

Filed under: Cellphones, Software

Samsung Galaxy S III bootloader for Verizon can now be unlocked: take that, Big Red (update: video) originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 15 Aug 2012 22:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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As we slowly approach Halo 4‘s November 6 release date, more and more details are beginning to come out of 343 Industries. Today we were introduced to something that’s going to make Halo 4‘s multtplayer stand out quite a bit from other games in the series: multiplayer specializations. Once players have ascended through the first 50 levels of the ranking system, they’ll have the opportunity to pick from a group of 8 specializations. Once a specialization is picked, players get 10 more ranks to rise through, unlocking 9 different cosmetic bonuses along the way, and then a special armor mod once reaching level 10.

As stated above, there are 8 different specializations in all: Wetwork, Pioneer, Engineer, Tracker, Rogue, Stalker, Pathfinder and Operator. Only two of these specializations – Wetwork and Pioneer – will be available at launch, with the others unlocking one by one after the game’s release. If you opt to purchase the Halo 4 Limited Edition, you’ll get all 8 specializations at launch. We have a feeling that will go over really well with the players who were planning on buying the standard edition.

The Wetwork comes with a special Stealth armor mod, which allows him to get up close and perform assassinations, all while remaining unseen. The Pioneer’s Fast Track armor mod, on the other hand, allows him to level up faster than the other classes, so you may want to go for the Pioneer first before choosing any of the other specializations. That choice is important too, as players will be locked into the specialization they pick until they reach level 10 with it. Once that happens, players will be free to choose a different specialization to use.

This new specialization aspect sounds like a good way of giving the Halo 4 multiplayer experience a little more longevity, but will players go for it? 343 Industries is making a lot of changes to the tried-and-true Halo multiplayer formula, and it sounds like it risks becoming too similar to other multiplayer modes floating around there. Is 343 heading in the wrong direction with Halo 4‘s multiplayer? The answer to that question will have to wait until November 6.

[via Halo Waypoint]

Halo 4 multiplayer class specializations detailed is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
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