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Dutch limo company builds a Tesla Model S hearse
While Tesla updates the AutoPilot software to reduce your risk of meeting an untimely demise behind the wheel of one of its vehicles, Netherlands-based builder RemetzCar is taking a different approach. This Tesla Model S isn't the first one to get the stretch treatment, but it is apparently the first one intended for use as a hearse. Commissioned by Van der Lans & Busscher BV, it can make sure your last ride is a zero-emissions one in what the company claims is the first fully-electric hearse.
Daimler nabs two taxi apps, but wants no part of an Uber-like uproar
While Daimler, Mercedes-Benz parent company, announced that it had acquired two ride-hailing apps today, it was clear that it wanted no part of disrupting the taxi industry. The oufit grabbed mytaxi and RideScout to boost its efforts to serve folks who don't have cars with its limousines, according to Reuters. If you need a quick introduction, mytaxi is a German-based service that hails, tracks and pays for taxis while RideScout is a tool for folks to find both public and private options for arriving on time with offices in Austin, Texas. What the company made perfectly clear is that it wants no part of ruffling the feathers Uber has; however, it does plan to work with taxi operators to get customers where they need to go. Deals were made through a subsidiary Moovel GmbH, and with that outfit, Daimler owns the car2go car-sharing option and the Park2gether service for finding empty spots to stop. [Photo credit: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images]
Uber recruiting San Franciscan drivers, no (official taxi) license needed
Taxi-hailing apps like Uber and its competitors have been hitting stop sign after speed bump in their journey to actually, you know, being able to operate. Uber even had to shut down a beta in the Big Apple before the authorities gave such services the green light (with various caveats), and earlier this month, a similar win was scored in California when officials lifted local restrictions. As a result of the Golden State's leniency, Uber has started its UBERx program in San Francisco to recruit drivers who don't possess a specific taxi or limo license. That means everyone and your neighbor Bob can potentially start exchanging rides for cash, and are being promised decent compensation, completely flexible working hours, and access to a large number of clients. Luckily for fare-payers, those that wish to repurpose their whip will have to pass several tests before ferrying passengers, including a "city knowledge exam," so hopefully you won't end up on Alcatraz when you just asked Bob for a lift to Chinatown. [Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons]
Tizen 1.0 Larkspur arrives, fuels your open-source phone dreams
The unveiling of Tizen left many mobile open-source aficionados wondering when the OS would reach its all-important 1.0 status. The answer is now: the coalition between Intel, Panasonic, Samsung and a raft of carriers has posted the first non-beta release in both source code and software development kit forms. The finished versions of either carry new features to reward developers for the wait: SDK users get a new browser-based simulator and a faster emulator, while those scouring the source code will find new point-of-interest and route searching features in location-aware apps as well as WiFi Direct and more HTML5 support. About the only wait left is for an actual Tizen phone to ship. [Image credit: Realnorth]
MeeGo to be folded into Linux-based Tizen OS, slated to arrive in 2012
The future of Meego has become a little clearer this morning, now that the Linux Foundation has announced that it'll be replaced with Tizen -- a new Linux-based, open-source OS. Samsung and Intel have been tapped to lead the development of the platform, in collaboration with the LiMo Foundation -- a consortium of companies including Panasonic Mobile Communications, NTT DoCoMo and SK Telecom, among others. According to its stewards, Tizen will support HTML5- and WAC-based apps and will be designed to run across a wide spectrum of devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, netbooks and in-car infotainment systems. The MeeGo project, for its part, already seems to be on board with the initiative, promising to "make sure that users of MeeGo can easily transition to Tizen," while assisting MeeGo developers, as well. The new OS is slated for release during the first quarter of 2012, with the first Tizen-laced devices scheduled to hit the market around the middle of next year. For more details, hit up the source link below, or trek past the break for the full PR.
LiMo hits version 4, reminds us why consumers don't care
Once considered a possible Android competitor, the LiMo Foundation has since dug in its heels as a carrier- and manufacturer-facing group rather than a consumer-facing one. To put that in more direct, un-politically correct terms: if you're an end user, you probably don't care that LiMo version 4 was just announced (though it's possible that your carrier might). In fact, the announcement actually happened a few days back during MWC in Barcelona, but it was a quiet affair -- the Foundation has yet to finalize device specs, the code won't be available to the public until July, and commercial hardware isn't expected until the second half. In the meantime, they're saying that the new version fulfills the vision where "operators and device manufacturers can more freely shape attractive user propositions and secure sustainable long-term value," which we read as "we help carriers prevent themselves from becoming dumb pipes." LiMo is all about customizability and we wouldn't expect to see a "standard" UI demoed, but 4 will offer 3D effects, support for multitouch, "advanced" multimedia capabilities, and some manner of screen resolution independence. It's still a little unclear to us what became of Verizon's partnership with these guys -- but who knows, maybe someone in Basking Ridge is jumping for joy right now. Follow the break for the full press release.
Runes of Magic shows off new Limo Desert trailer
Frogster Interactive and Runewaker Entertainment are certainly doing a good job keeping the new content flowing into Runes of Magic. As we heard recently, patch 3.0.6., titled The Treasures of the Desert, will open up the Limo Desert and offer a variety of new things for players to check out, including new areas, a new instance, and new monsters to battle -- and of course, new loot, we're sure. That sounds pretty cool to us. For those who may have wanted to see some of the new areas, mobs, and even the new bosses in action, you're in luck. Frogster and Runewaker have sent over a video that shows off some of the areas in the Limo Desert -- an area which features a heavy dose of Egyptian influence. We're also treated to a peek at the dungeon, where players will face off against Angerfang and his minions. The shiny new trailer lies just behind the break for those who want to take a peek before the patch hits Runes of Magic on the 30th of November.
Adobe confirms Flash Player 10.1 is coming to BlackBerry, Windows Phone 7 and more
We've already known that Adobe would be bringing Flash Player 10.1 to Windows Phone 7, but the company has just now made that fully official at its currently-happening MAX conference (alongside its Air 2.5 announcement), and it's also confirmed exactly which other mobile platforms the plug-in will be headed to. That includes WebOS 2.0, which we've already seen first hand, along with BlackBerry OS, Symbian, MeeGo and, last but not least, the LiMo platform -- those will all of course join Android 2.2, which already supports the plug-in. Unfortunately, there's still no timeline for a release on each platform, with Adobe only saying that Flash 10.1 is "expected" to hit each mobile OS. Head on past the break for the relevant snippet from Adobe's press release.
Vodafone 360 LiMo handsets are no more, probably not missed by many
We can't say we didn't see this coming, but Vodafone's finally put its bespoke 360 phones out of misery. The reason? To focus on making its 360 services -- mainly social networking integration and an app store -- "available on as many devices as we can as soon as we can." Sounds a bit over the top (like Sony Ericsson bundling PlayNow with Android), but regardless of the implementation, 'tis likely a way of reflecting the lack of adoption for these Samsung LiMo handsets. A real shame, we tell ya. We don't blame Vodafone -- times is hard with other big-name mobile platforms competing with their own built-in services -- plus the 360 branding never really extended beyond the H1 and M1, let alone the now-cancelled H2. But hey, at least that's one less category for the store assistant to shower you with, right?
ARM, Samsung, IBM, Freescale, TI and more join to form Linaro, speed rollout of Linux-based devices
My, my -- what have we here? No, seriously, what is this hodgepodge of (rival) companies, and why have they suddenly decided to high five each other here at Computex? Frankly, we're still trying to piece it all together, but after sitting through a Linaro launch event in Taipei, we're beginning to get a better handle on the relationship that Samsung, ARM, IBM, Freescale, ST-Ericsson, Texas Instruments and the Linux Foundation have just made official. The outfits mentioned above are coming together to form the UK-based Linaro (a not-for-profit entity), which currently has 25 engineers but will see that figure shoot up to nearly a hundred around the world in the coming days. In short, the new firm -- which will have an annual budget in the "tens of millions of dollars" but below "$100 million" -- is seeking to "speed the rollout of Linux-based devices," with one of the key points being this: Linaro will "provide a stable and optimized base for distributions and developers by creating new releases of optimized tools, kernel and middleware software validated for a wide range of SoCs, every six months." Read on for more...%Gallery-94261%
Samsung i8330 'H2' for Vodafone leaked?
At the time of its release late last year, Samsung's H1 for Vodafone's then-new 360 service represented some of the sweetest featurephone hardware that money could buy, thanks to a 3.5-inch AMOLED touchscreen, WiFi, 5 megapixel autofocus cam, and 16GB of onboard storage. Those are still killer specs, but it's always onward and upward with these guys -- so we're not surprised to see rumors of an H2 model surface. Like the H1, this new handset (apparently with internal model number i8330) is said to run LiMo (release 3 this time) and packs an 8 megapixel camera with LED flash and HD video capture, 1GHz Cortex-A8 processor, and a WVGA Super AMOLED display. Super AMOLED sounds like a gimmick until you actually see a display in the flesh, then you realize that it's the real deal, so this phone could make some waves; it's tapped for launch before World Cup soccer starts next month, so we could see an announcement any minute now.
Four big carriers targeting LiMo phone releases this year
Hey, remember LiMo? Yeah, us neither, but the stealthiest of major mobile platform coalitions is back in the spotlight today on news that four top global carriers -- France Telecom's Orange, Telefonica (presumably via O2 and Movistar), Verizon, and Korea's SKT will all be launching LiMo-based phones by year-end. As a refresher, Big Red jointed the LiMo Foundation way back in 2008, so it's interesting to see that they're still looking to play ball; the platform has typically been billed as more of a carrier-facing initiative than a consumer-facing one, so realistically, end users are likely going to perceive nothing other than a little more dumbphone synergy across the lineup than they do now. Android, Windows Phone, iPhone, webOS... you guys are free to carry on.
Motorola quietly takes one step away from LiMo, looks to Android for consolation
Man, remember LiMo? Amazingly, there are some 40 handsets on the market today based on the platform, but precisely none of them are boasting a profile as high as any one of the Android smartphones also on store shelves. As Motorola scrambles to re-make itself and prove that its CLIQ is a force to be reckoned with in the burgeoning Android phone sector, the company has also decided to remove itself as a "founding member" of the LiMo Foundation. The company recently noted that the outfit was sliding down to "associate member," stating that "at this time it feels that the Android platform gives it a richer, more consistent foundation with strong support for the ecosystem and developer community." That's a pretty damning statement to our ears, but we won't go so far as to call the breakup between Moto and LiMo official; we're guessing "it's complicated" would be entirely more appropriate here.[Via phonescoop]
Vodafone debuts 360 online platform, H1 and M1 LiMo-based handsets
This time last year, you might have thought that LiMo was waning in the shadow of Android's eminence, but we're witnessing the vanguard of a new resurgence in the form of the Vodafone 360 H1 and M1 handsets by Samsung. Being the first LiMo Release 2 devices, they'll come with a bagful of fancy 3D UI visualizations to splash atop 3.5- and 3.2-inch touchscreen displays, with the bigger H1 (pictured) getting the AMOLED treatment, WiFi, HSDPA and 16GB of internal memory, and the M1 receiving HSDPA and 1GB of expandable memory, but no WiFi. They are making their debut alongside Vodafone's new 360 online platform, which takes over from the former Live service. You can expect it to bring Facebook, Twitter, Windows Live Messenger and Google Talk integration, as well as an app store to compete with the other heavy hitters. The M1's three color options are pictured after the break. Read - Vodafone 360 press release Read - Vodafone 360 H1 product page Read - Vodafone 360 H1 hands-on Read - Vodafone 360 M1 product page %Gallery-73881%
LiMo Foundation could be close to bearing fruit for Samsung, Vodafone in a big way
The LiMo Foundation's platform is far from vaporware -- countless Japanese domestic market handsets run it in one form or another, which makes sense considering that NTT DoCoMo, NEC, and Panasonic are all counted among its founding members -- but outside the land of the rising sun, LiMo's had very little end-user impact even as it's collected big-name members and released several rounds of specs and whitepapers over the last year and a half. To a certain extent, that's by design; unlike Android, LiMo is as much about creating synergies for manufacturers and carriers as it is about giving subscribers flashy user interfaces, but a new Samsung for Vodafone leaked on Boy Genius Report today suggests that we might be getting flashy UIs nonetheless. We don't know what this phone will ultimately be called, but it doesn't take more than a couple glances to pick up on the fact that it's relatively high-end, equipped with an 8 megapixel cam and full AMOLED touhscreen. The social-oriented interface looks seriously tricked out with faces (hopefully of people the user knows) moving in and out in three dimensions -- usability is an open question, but at least it's pretty to stare at, which is really what a good phone's all about anyway, right? Word on the street is that this might be announced at a London event on the 24th, but here's our question: where's Verizon in all this?
LiMo Foundation now counts KDDI and Immersion among membership
Though it doesn't have the star power of Android or (arguably) the Symbian Foundation, LiMo's still slaving away on devices and picking up support, largely in Japan where NTT DoCoMo played a major role in its creation. Following a finalization of its Release 2 specs a couple months back, the Foundation's now adding a couple additional big players into its ranks that should help it penetrate even further in Japan, too: KDDI, rival to DoCoMo and operator of the country's CDMA airwaves, and Immersion, a (the?) big player in haptics. Japan's Softbank is already on board, too, so at this point, these guys pretty much have the Japanese wireless trifecta under their belts.
Garmin-ASUS nuvifone G60 spills loads of Linux-laced screenshots
Yeah, we've seen our fair share of glimpses at Garmin-ASUS' nüvifone G60, but with the Linux-based phone just weeks away from shipping over in the Far East, these last minute looks are becoming all the more tantalizing. A reviewer over in Malaysia managed to spend a bit of quality time with the handset, and while he's still waiting for his official review unit, he managed to snag a litany of screenshots that gives us a fantastic idea of what to expect from a user interface perspective. We have to say -- we kind of dig the whimsical look at a glance, but it makes us wonder just how serious of a smartphone this thing really is. With Android already out, does this UI look like it has the chops to compete? Hit the read link and let us know.[Via GPSTracklog, thanks Rich]
LiMo Foundation finalizes Release 2 specs
It's a bit late, but the LiMo Foundation has wrapped up work on specifications for its second major release, aptly named R2. Major improvements over R1 include enhanced support for location-based services, media, integrated PIM functionality, and "advanced security applications," which we take to mean VPN and the like; more importantly, though, R2 integrates the OMTP's BONDI 1.0 specification, which gives manufacturers, carriers, and developers a common target platform for widgets and mobile web apps. If you're itching to run out and buy a LiMo R2 device of your own, hold up -- they won't be in the market until the fourth quarter of the year, assuming the schedule doesn't slip.[Via Phone Scoop]
Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60 to rock LiMo, launch in 1H 2009
We've been waiting on pins and needles for confirmation, but it looks like an all-too-vague Reuters report actually is referring to the Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60. After a senior company official noted that a "Linux-based operating system" would be used in one of its two smartphones, we pinged Garmin directly to cut through the mystery and get down to the meat. What we were told was this: "The Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60 has a proprietary Linux-based OS, and we're still working towards delivering the nüvifone G60 in the first half of 2009 in limited markets, which haven't been named yet." Of course, the tandem is quickly running out in months in that window, so we're pretty jazzed to be all up on top of an imminent release. Now, if only we knew where those patience pills made off to...[Via Boy Genius Report]
Access Linux Platform 3.0 live, in person, and oh-so-full of widgets
We got a quick look at the latest version of the Access Linux Platform (ALP) today, running on an early build of TI's OMAP 3-based Zoom hardware. Access seems excessively enthused with widgets, and really isn't doing a bad job at them, featuring transparency galore and even a second home screen for housing a separate set of them (perhaps "work" or "home" or "really great world clocks"). The machine also run's Access' own NetFront browser, which isn't quite as butter as we've seen WebKit get lately, but might be about on par with Microsoft's new builds of Internet Explorer Mobile. Unfortunately, aside from a jerky, barebones "flickable" photo browser, that's all Access is showing off of LiMo-compliant 3.0 at the moment, and we didn't get a look at that Garnet OS compatibility layer we all know and love. Still, if you suffer from some irrational fear that we'd be short on mobile operating systems here at MWC you can at last rest at ease. Video is after the break.%Gallery-45302%
