Hasta La Gadget!

BMW already has one of the shortest names on the auto front, but it’s about to get shorter. The company has just launched “i,” a sub-marque much like the company’s M cars but, rather than focusing on performance, highlighting new technology to create cars that are “good for us” while also being “good for our planet.” It’s what the company calls “premium mobility,” cars for daily commuting that will let you “enjoy the finer things in life” without killing the planet in the process. The first two cars are the i3 (formerly known as the Megacity) and the i8 (the auto formerly known as Vision EfficientDynamics), both of which are said to be as fun to drive as a current car but much more efficient thanks to composite construction and electrified powertrains.

Additionally, the company is also working with the My City Way apps, which cover 40 cities in the US and that many abroad, offering traffic cameras, POIs, and even public transit info — a little odd for a car company. The company is pledging that we’ll see these “born electric” cars in production by 2013 and coyly specifies that three is not the smallest number nor eight the largest, meaning we should expect other models to fill that gap — just like the company’s current alphanumeric lineup. We’ll surely be learning more about these cars at Geneva in a few weeks, and if you think BMW is just being trendy using the lower-case i moniker, it did launch its iDrive controller back in September of 2001 — a month before the iPod really made “i” super trendy.

BMW launches new ‘i’ brand focused on electrification, lower-case letters originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 21 Feb 2011 09:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Welcome to the wonderful world of smartphones, Chevrolet. The company has just announced (on our very show, no less) a system it calls MyLink. It’s a definite competitor to things like Ford’s AppLink and the recently unveiled Toyota Entune system. Offering compatibility with iOS, BlackBerry, and Android it allows for a driver to interact with apps running on their smartphones using controls in their car. Connectivity is totally wireless for the last two, with data going over Bluetooth, but as of the current version iOS devices need to be physically tethered to the car. That’s a bit of a bummer.

Currently there are only two compatible apps: Stitcher and Pandora, the latter maintaining its status of the world’s most popular infotainment app. Naturally, more are coming. Drivers can interact with the apps using voice, courtesy of Nuance, or using the touchscreen displays found in the Volt and Equinox, the first cars that will offer this system and which will also offer PowerMat charging, meaning you can not only stream tunes wirelessly but also charge your device. No word yet on cost or what option packages this system will be available in, but we’ll be bringing that to you as soon as we can. Until then, enjoy the video demo after the break.

Continue reading Chevrolet launches MyLink smartphone integration for 2012 Volt and Equinox

Chevrolet launches MyLink smartphone integration for 2012 Volt and Equinox originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 17 Feb 2011 19:25:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We’ve just barely begun to get ready with Steve Ballmer’s keynote at MWC 2011, yet the company’s Twitter and press feeds just scooped its main man. It’s confirmed that Windows Phone 7 is getting multitasking for third-party apps and a suite of other updates, including Twitter integration and IE9 Mobile. We’re still waiting on details on the multitasking, but the company has confirmed a “new wave of multitasking applications” in this next release, though hopefully that means open to all.

Twitter will be integrated into the People Hub, so you can get your real-time “what’s for dinner” updates right there. And, of course, Microsoft confirmed IE9 is coming. It’ll deliver a “dramatically enhanced web browser experience” thanks to graphics and hardware acceleration that’ll make the most of what your handset has to offer. Sounds tasty to us. We’re told to expect the update in “early March,” which isn’t that far away at all.

Continue reading Microsoft shows off WP7’s future with multitasking, Twitter integration, and IE9, all coming this year

Microsoft shows off WP7’s future with multitasking, Twitter integration, and IE9, all coming this year originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 10:09:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony Ericsson Xperia Play available in March, on Verizon in ‘early spring’ originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 Feb 2011 13:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The nominations are in, the picks have been sorted, and now it’s time for you, the reader, to help us judge the best in tech from 2010! We’ve put together a long, long list of the top selections below — all we ask is that you cast your vote for the gadgets nearest and dearest to your hearts.

Votes will be tallied until Monday February 20th, 11:59PM EDT. You can vote in this post — the nominees are after the break. After we’ve checked for abuse (please don’t make us ban you) we’ll publish the results alongside our own Editors’ Choice picks the following week. May the best gadgets win!

Continue reading Vote for the 2010 Engadget Awards!

Vote for the 2010 Engadget Awards! originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 11 Feb 2011 15:24:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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