Hasta La Gadget!

For those who can’t quite handle the down payment on a Bentley, there’s a Porsche. For those who can’t quite handle the down payment on a Porsche, there’s… well, about to be something else to covet. QNX — the same software outfit responsible for sprucing up the in-car infotainment systems in the aforesaid brands — has just inked a deal with Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, which should deliver QNX CAR-based systems to vehicles sold in North America, Europe, and Japan. Sadly, neither company is coming clean on which automakers are lined up (if any) to swap their ho hum systems out for something a bit more modern, but we’re certainly hoping that it’s more than just a handful. Oh, and if any of the motorcar makers in attendance need any ideas for implementation….

Filed under: Transportation, Software, Blackberry

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Via: TechCrunch

Source: QNX

Just over 18 months after making its video debut, the Navy’s electromagnetic railgun has a manufacturer. BAE Systems — known for e-ink-powered tank camouflage, autonomous spiderbots and machine-gun-mounted lasers — won the government contract and hopes to have phase-two prototypes ready “as early as next year.” While the current design is capable of firing one shot, the Office of Navy Research hopes for six to ten shots per minute. If that doesn’t scare you, consider this: The pulse-driven projectiles travel at Mach 6 and can hit targets over 100 nautical miles away. Don’t worry, it’s not too late to rethink that career of sailing the high seas as a pirate and get to work on that accounting degree instead.

Filed under: Science

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Via: Defense Tech

Source: BAE Systems

June 5th came and went, without the introduction of PC Mobile’s new postpaid plans and smartphone lineup. MobileSyrup heard the launch had been pushed back to today, but is now reporting the MVNO is delaying it further. A few more details of what the Canadian carrier is expected to offer when it eventually follows through have emerged, however, including the all-important price points. Three contract tiers will be available, costing $35, $50 or $65 per month, with the number of any-use minutes and data allowance increasing with the spend. You’ll also be able to purchase “stacks” that give you extra chatter time or megabytes for the month. Full details of the plans are available at the source link, but exactly when PC Mobile will begin promoting them alongside a refreshed handset selection is still anyone’s guess.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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Source: MobileSyrup

After adding monthly SIM-only plans to its product line-up last week, EE’s announced a few new subscriptions that people will have access to at some point this summer. One is a shared option, which’ll allow patrons to use their plan “across phones and tablets, or with other people.” The other is a PAYG data-only option, so you’ll be able to buy gigabytes without signing up for anything long-term, and gobble them up on your tablet, laptop, MiFi device or anything else with a SIM slot. We don’t have any firm launch dates or pricing for either of these plans, but more is expected “in the coming weeks.” In other news, the number of customers on EE’s LTE network has exceeded the half a million mark, meaning around 200,000 new subscribers have come on board since April.

Filed under: Cellphones, Laptops, Tablets, Wireless, Mobile

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Most people will have some experience of lugging around a tired handset, knowing they’ve an eternity to wait before upgrading. UK carrier O2 has just announced its solution to phone fatigue called O2 Refresh, which splits overall costs into a “Phone Plan” and an “Airtime Plan.” Much like Phones4U’s JUMP plan or T-Mobile USA’s new UnCarrier model, you’re charged for the handset separately, so you can switch whenever you like as long as the current one’s paid off. That price will vary depending on how much you lay down upfront and the Airtime Plan you choose; also, if you’re done with the old one, you can get up to £260 towards the new one using O2’s Recycle option. Unlike the Magenta carrier’s new direction in the US, however, you will still be locked into a two-year contract, with a £12 monthly payment getting you 600 mins, unlimited texts and 750MB of data. Increase that to £17 for 1GB and unlimited calls / texts, or head for the £22 tier to increase that cap to 2GB.

So, you’ve decided on the Airtime Plan, but what about handsets? There’s a solid choice of flagships (and some less exciting models), including the HTC One, Xperia Z, BlackBerry Z10, Note II, Nexus 4 and iPhone 5, with the Galaxy S 4 and BlackBerry Q10 arriving later — hopefully in time for O2’s 4G launch this “summer.” To give you an example of what Phone Plans will be like, an HTC One will set you back £529.99 (around $815) in total with a £49.99 upfront payment and £20 each month. O2 Refresh is launching April 16th in stores, and will expand to online and phone orders “in the coming months.” Head to the source link below to check out the full list of phones available at launch, but don’t blame us if the loathing you have for your current pocket pal is subsequently increased.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

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Via: Pocket-lint

Source: O2