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Harrods reportedly nabs Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry as UK exclusive, costs a princely £1,275
The department store Harrods is no stranger to exposing Londoners to some of the finer -- and more eccentric -- things in life, and so after learning that it'd be bringing RIM's Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry to its shelves as a UK exclusive, we couldn't help but smile with curiosity. While we've yet to see anything official come across the wires, it's reported that this sexy slab of unlocked goodness will retail for £1,275 and hit stores before the month's end. We've attempted to confirm these details with RIM's UK group but, as it turns out, Brits like going home early on Friday, too.
The Daily Grind: What's the worst thing an MMO dev's ever said?
The fall season has seen two massive PR fiascos in two MMOs that just couldn't be more different: World of Warcraft and EVE Online. At BlizzCon, Blizzard cluelessly cheered on a video featuring individuals making crass anti-gay comments. And CCP managed to alienate its loyalists with an arrogant, greed-oriented internal memo. For my part, one of the most awful dev quotes surfaced during the bygone days of EverQuest, when a dev named Milo Cooper famously posted to a player, "Shut up and give me my ten bucks per month, little man. My Porsche needs some performance upgrades." (Hey, remember back when games were $10 a month?) Comments like that one just fueled anger among the playerbase, whose members already felt they were paying too much for too little in return from a studio that took them entirely for granted. So what's the worst thing you've ever seen an MMO dev say or do? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry provides a long-awaited design jolt, compensates for a lot
Remember that downright futuristic BlackBerry we spied back in September? Say hello, all over again. RIM and Porsche (of all companies) have just taken the official wraps off of the Porsche Design P'9981 BlackBerry, a frighteningly beautiful new slab that offers up a forged stainless steel frame, hand-wrapped leather back cover, sculpted QWERTY keyboard, and "crystal clear touch display." It'll ship with an exclusive Porsche Design UI and a bespoke Wikitude World Browser augmented reality app experience, not to mention the "premium, exclusive PINs that help easily identify another P'9981 smartphone user." Fancy. As for specs, it's boasting a 1.2GHz processor, HD video recording capabilities, 8GB of onboard memory, Liquid Graphics technology, a microSD expansion slot, an inbuilt NFC module and BlackBerry OS 7. We're told that it'll be available from Porsche Design stores later this year, but mum's the word on the (presumably stratospheric) price. Head past the jump for T-break's hands-on vid. Update: MobileSyrup reports that the device shown here will sell for "around $2,000," and they'll be (unsurprisingly) limited in quantity. %Gallery-137690%
EV manufacturers get harmonized, agree to build a universal charging system
Fancy segregating EV charging stations by vehicle manufacturer? No? A slew of major automobile firms didn't like the idea much either, and have agreed on a combined charging system to use as an international standard. Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen now support a single-port fast charging system that integrates all charging configurations -- from spiffy quick charging setups, down to modest Level 1 rigs. The new system also crowns HomePlug Green PHY as the standard communication protocol, allowing charging stations to hook compatible EVs to Powerline Smart Grid applications. Where do all these fancy features leave you and your Leaf? Charged, of course -- the new "harmonized electric vehicle charging solution" promises to be backward compatible with current industry standard J1772 connectors. Hit the break for Ford's official press release.
Forza 4 creative lead: game missing Porsches due to lack of access from EA
Despite the inclusion of Porches in previous Forza Motorsport titles, Forza 4 won't feature any vehicles from the German sports car company. In a FAQ posted to the official Forza website, Turn 10 creative director Dan Greenwalt explained, "EA couldn't see their way towards collaborating again," though it seems that it wasn't for lack of trying on Turn 10's part. EA currently has licensing exclusivity arrangements with Porsche, similar to the publisher's deal with the NFL. With Need for Speed: Shift becoming its own sim racing franchise, it seems EA could be pushing back on the Forza folks. "We've asked our contacts at EA to reconsider their position frequently and regularly over the last 18 months," Greenwalt said. "We also reached out to various influential people in gaming to lobby on our behalf, but that was to no avail." Though he said that his employer and EA have worked out sub-licensing deals before, this time EA wasn't on board -- regardless of how hard Turn 10 lobbied. In total, the game will be lacking 35 Porsche models, replaced with an unnamed cadre of "new makes and models." Greenwalt's lament is palpable in his conclusion, where he apologized to series loyalists: "Fans shouldn't have to think about any of this -- you should just be able to drive Porsches and Ferraris in the games you love. Porsche makes wonderful cars and I'm sorry that we won't have them in Forza 4." EA had yet to respond to request for comment as of publishing.
Need for Speed: The Run limited edition comes with trio of extra supercars
Like buying games brand new? EA sure wants you to, as its "Limited Edition" of Need for Speed: The Run incentivizes just such a purchase with the bonus inclusion of three fancy sports cars -- for the same price as the regular ol' "normal" edition, no less. Along with special access to a Porsche 911 Carrera S, a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, and a Lamborghini Aventador, picking up the "Limited Edition" nets you "five exclusive Challenges" to slay with your high-powered sports car of choice. The only version of the Limited Edition that we can spot thus far is on EA's own Origin PC download store for the totally-normal-edition price of $49.99, so it stands to reason that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions are similarly priced ($59.99 on consoles). Just to be sure, we've asked EA for a better idea of what to expect, price-wise, come November. Update: EA clarified that the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions will cost the standard $59.99, and the "Limited Edition" will operate similarly to the "Limited Edition" version of Battlefield: Bad Company 2.%Gallery-129770%
Porsche ACC InnoDrive handles all the pedals, takes the lead out of your foot
When we took a deeper look into the technology that makes a Porsche a Porsche, we experienced neck-snapping acceleration and yawn-inducing traction control, but never did we get the feeling that the car was actually driving itself. That could change soon, Autoblog catching the keys to a Porsche Panamera S test mule outfitted with something called ACC InnoDrive. ACC stands for Adaptive Cruise Control, while InnoDrive stands for (wait for it) Innovative Drive. It's basically cruise control with a brain, having a fully mapped-out route and knowing not only the severity of upcoming turns but also elevation changes and posted speed limits. In other words: it figures out how fast it should be going and even stops when it should, letting you go the entire distance without having to apply loafer to pedal -- assuming no intersections. Porsche isn't saying when we might see this technology coming to a dearly expensive options package near you, but assures us its cars never completely drive themselves: "We will not touch the steering, trust us. That hands-on aspect is key to the Porsche experience."
LaCie introduces Porsche-designed, aluminum-framed USB 3.0 HDDs
LaCie, a company that's no stranger to employing aluminum and high profile designers on its external storage drives, is back at it today with the announcement of a pair of new HDDs. The P9220 Mobile and P9230 Desktop drives -- one's thin and portable, the other's chunkier and stores more data, guess which is which -- harness the creative minds at Porsche Design to deliver... well, some pretty tamely designed peripherals. We guess it's all about minimalism and letting the scratch-resistant aluminum casing speak for itself, but we still kinda feel like the Porsche guys did this on a Thursday lunch break. As simple as it is, the look of these drives still managed to impress the guys at CrunchGear, whose hands-on coverage can be read at the link provided below. If you want to get to grips with one yourself, the P9220 starts out at £89.90 ($105 in US) for 500GB and will also have a 1TB option soon, whereas the P9230 costs £99.90 / $120 for a terabyte or £129.90 / $160 for two -- all come with USB 3.0 connectivity and the pride-stroking knowledge that you own a legitimate Porsche.
BMW, Porsche, others announce support for HomePlug's EV networking spec
The HomePlug Powerline Alliance already wants to tether your entire household to the Internet, and it may soon extend its reach to your garage, as well. At Computex today, the company announced that Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen have all agreed to support its HomePlug Green PHY (GP) technology as their EV charging interface of choice. The networking specification would allow electric car owners to link their plug-ins to the Smart Grid via the same ports used to charge their batteries, opening up new, Powerline-based possibilities. Once your EV hooks up to the network, it may be able to conduct system checks in real-time, for instance, or provide instant feedback on performance or the condition of your battery. The low power GP spec will also be interoperable with HomePlug's forthcoming AV2 spec, though it's still not clear when we can expect to see Germany's automakers incorporate it into production. Zip past the break for the full PR.
Next-gen Porsche 911 getting hybrid transmission system?
Porsche has already tricked out its racing cars with kinetic energy recovery systems, and now it looks like its more mainstream 911 is getting the hybrid transmission treatment, too. Citing anonymous sources, our sister site Autoblog reports that the entire range of the next-gen coupe is going to use these systems, which don't store energy in a battery, but instead capture kinetic energy during deceleration using a flywheel mechanism. Even without that sleuthing, a series of spy shots (including that one up there) reveal that the auto maker has expanded the wheelbase length by just enough so that it can accommodate a KERS between the gearbox and the engine. What does this mean for the 911? Well, these same sources say the entry-level Carrera is on track to surpass its rated 4.7-second 0 to 60 time and that it will generally be lighter, faster, more energy-efficient, and go farther on a gallon. Can't afford a low-end Porsche? Well, you can still ogle the eye candy at the source link.
Visualized: Porsche's GT3 R Hybrid has its very own boost button
Sure, it may seem like any old Formula 1 steering wheel, but take a closer look. See that big red button sitting on the left side, just begging to be pressed? That, friends, would be a boost button, capable of giving this Porsche 911 GT3 R Hybrid racer an extra burst of acceleration. Unlike most battery powered hybrids, both the 911 GT3 R and the 918 RSR run on an inertial flywheel that's spun by the momentum generated whenever the car brakes. All it takes is one tap of the boost button, however, for that momentum to be instantly converted into a potent jolt of KITT-like horsepower. We still don't really know what we'd do with all the other buttons, but we definitely know which one we'd keep our thumb on.
Inhabitat's Week in Green: solar panel roads, floating golf, and the 2,564.8 MPG race car
Each week our friends at Inhabitat recap the week's most interesting green developments and clean tech news for us -- it's the Week in Green. Building technology got a tremendous boost this week as Inhabitat reported on a new type of graphene super paper that is 10 times stronger than steel and six times as light. We also took a look at several remarkable new infrastructure projects popping up around the world - from a self-sufficient floating golf course in the Maldives to London's gleaming new cable car system, to the Netherlands' plan to supercharge its roadways with solar panels. Speaking of hot asphalt, this week the ultra-efficient Alerion race car blazed a trail at the Shell Eco-Marathon, clocking in an incredible 2,564.8 miles per gallon. Meanwhile, Fisker announced that its sexy electric Karma sedan will hit the road this summer, and we were surprised to hear that Marcelo da Luz was forced to pull his solar-powered X of 1 car across Ontario due to road regulations. The New York Auto Show also kicked off with a blast this week as Lexus unveiled its next-gen LF-Gh concept hybrid and Porsche rolled out a 911 GTR 3 in a Facebook colorway that got a lot of "likes". Finally, we looked at several futuristic example of wearable technology this week including a pair of RoboCop-like glasses that are capable of scanning 400 faces per second at public events. We also brought you a brilliant LED backpack that lets cyclists send signals to drivers, a pollution-detecting t-shirt, and a clock that tells time by knitting a new scarf every year.
Porsche opens 918 Spyder plug-in supercar pre-orders, $845,000 gets you a ticket to ride
It isn't quite as hot as the 918 RSR, but it is at least street legal. Or, will be, anyway. It's the 918 Spyder, one of the hottest hybrids we've ever seen, and Porsche has now opened the doors for those who want to order them. $845,000 gets you a car with a mid-mounted V8 putting down "at least" 500HP. That's paired with two electric motors, one front and one rear, which provide an additional 218 horsepower and AWD handling to boot. Unlike the RSR these motors will be powered by a Li-ion battery pack that will offer 16 miles of purely electric range when charged for about seven hours on a standard 110 outlet. More impressively, this carbon-fiber convertible will get to 60MPH in 3.1 seconds (matching the 911 Turbo S we played with last month) yet deliver 78MPG. That's not quite up to the levels Volvo's promising for its V60 plug-in diesel, but we're thinking this bad boy might be a little more fun to drive. What won't be fun is the wait: the 918 isn't expected to start shipping until the end of 2013. That gives you plenty of time to build your dream garage -- and practice your pronunciation of "Doppelkupplung."
Porsche gives 911 GT3 R hybrid more power, less weight -- swears it wasn't fat or anything
There are two ways to make a car go faster, add power or subtract weight, and Porsche has done a little bit of both to its new 911 GT3 R hybrid racer in preparation for this year's Nürburgring 24-hour race. Porsche took last year's version, put it on a 50kg diet, and bumped the output of each of the car's two KERS-powered front-wheel electric motors by 21hp (giving drivers 202 'lectric horses and 480 of the ICE variety for a pavement-melting 682hp total). The boys from Stuttgart hope the Jenny Craig routine will improve performance, fuel economy, and the car's chances of winning the endurance event in June. The hybrid-drive technology -- originally sourced from Williams' F1 cars -- made an appearance in the firm's 918 RSR hybrid and is largely unchanged from the 2010 model. Unfortunately, this is a racing-only situation, what with the KERS flywheel riding shotgun, but we're sure one of the hundreds of other technologically-inclined 911 variants will sate your need for speed.
The technology of the Porsche 911
Regardless of industry, there are few brands more iconic than Porsche. And, of all the car shapes that have sprung from clay over the years, few are more evocative than the classic 911. It started in 1963 looking like a slightly stretched Beetle -- which it wasn't much bigger than. It's considerably larger and heavier now, having lost much of its design purity in the ensuing 40-odd years. Still, its same basic shape and layout remain: bug eyes up front and boxer motor in the rear, slung between the back wheels. Today's 911, also known as the 997, has been around since 2005 and is about due to be replaced by a new model. This means it's at the top of its game, available in a dizzying array of flavors that include the sporty Carrera, sunny-day cruisin' Cabriolet, all-wheel drive powerhouse Turbo, all leading up to the mind-blowingly fast, twin-turbo 911 GT2. That car is as devoid of creature comforts as it is of apprehensions about sending you flying sideways into a tree. Screaming, probably. These varying trim levels offer juicy bits of tech like active center differentials, launch control, and double-clutch gearboxes. Join us as we explore the race-ready bits of technology that make these cars faster and safer on the road and then take them for a spin around Barber Motorsports Park to see how it all comes together.
Elite Porsche tuner RUF gets in on the electric game with three eRUF models
If you want a Porsche with a little bit more -- more power, more handling, more brakes, more outrageous styling -- you want a RUF. It's technically an independent auto manufacturer, but every model starts with a Porsche that gets systematically turned up to 11. The haus that Ferdinand built just announced a handful of electric cars and now RUF is getting in on the game too, creating three separate models. First is the all EV Single Motor Concept, a 911 with a 241hp motor that'll do 93 miles on a charge, has a top speed of 136mph, and can hit 60 in about seven seconds. Next up is the Twin Motor Concept, pairing two 335hp motors to a larger battery, enabling 124 miles of range, top speed of 137mph, and 0 - 60 in a much more respectable five seconds. Finally there's the Twin Motor Concept with Torque Vectoring. This again has two 335hp motors but this time each one drives a separate rear wheel, enabling dynamic torque vectoring. Range and acceleration are the same but handling should theoretically be much better when going through the twisties. And, really, that's what it's all about. Right now ten of these cars have been built for testing. They're not available for general purchase but we have it on good authority that they'll be very, very expensive when they do ship.
NFS: Hot Pursuit getting three new DLC packs in the next three weeks
After yesterday's discovery of new Achievements arriving in this week's Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit patch -- cheevos that hinted at Lamborghini and Porsche DLC -- EA today issued a press releasing detailing three new DLC packs launching over the next three weeks starting on February 22. And wouldn't you know it, two of the packs happen to be themed after the aforementioned luxury car brands; "Lamborghini Untamed" adds three Lambos and 10 new events, while "Porsche Untamed" brings two Porsches and 10 more new events. Kicking the tires on the three weeks of DLC is the "Armed and Dangerous" pack, which adds two modes: "Most Wanted", described as "an open-world battle where the cops are out to bust a specific racer while the racers battle to protect them, making full use of the open world, weaponry and demanding team tactics," and "Arms Race," which EA details as "every man for himself as racers use their full arsenal of weaponry on each other in ruthless races to the finish." Armed and Dangerous arrives next week for $7, with Lamborghini Untamed and Porsche Unleashed launching in subsequent weeks at the same price. As detailed on the Need for Speed Blog, folks interested in snagging the forthcoming DLC will have to download this week's patch (version 1.2) first, which must be manually downloaded on Xbox 360s (via the Marketplace) since the 257MB patch handily exceeds the console's maximum size for an automatic Title Update. The PlayStation 3 update is automatically triggered upon startup.
Porsche unveils fully-electric Boxster E, a drop-top EV we can get behind
They're just prototypes at this point and number only three, but the trio of Boxster E convertibles Porsche has produced could be a sign of very good things to come from the company. Of course there's the 918 RSR and 918 Spyder, but the former of those two is intended only for the track and the latter only for the incredibly wealthy. An EV Boxster could be attainable by the only moderately wealthy, though of course Porsche's giving no indication of price for these yet. Nor range, sadly, nor performance -- they're simply "rolling laboratories" that will provide data for future models to come. Sweet, sweet data.
Euromasters electric classic Porsche replicas let you be a rebel without a gas tank
The Porsche 356 Speedster and Porche 550 Spyder are some of the most iconic sports cars of all time, minimalist design and racing pedigree making their mark -- and of course James Dean losing his life in a Spyder certainly helped it to gain some notoriety. Restored models go for hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the one you're looking at above goes for much less. It's a replica made by California company Euromasters, and it's all-electric. Specs on that plus the Spyder replica are identical, including 120hp motors, top speed of over 100mph, a range of over 200 miles, and 0 - 60 in a very brisk 5.6 seconds -- almost four seconds faster than an original road-going 356. The Speedster was unveiled at the LA Auto Show late last year and both it and the Spyder are now up for order. $49,900 if you want the Speedster, another $5,000 if you want the James Dean Edition Spyder. Just be careful if you get one: we doubt these Little Bastards are much safer in a crash than the originals. %Gallery-115767%
Engadget Podcast 229 - 01.16.2011
You thought we were going to take a break after CES, didn't you? Yeah, no way. We're back and badder than ever, with all the latest iPhone / iPad gossip AND a treasure trove of new info and insight form Automotive Editor Tim Stevens about some killer new stuff going on under the hood of the vehicles of the very near future. Dig in!Hosts: Joshua Topolsky, Paul MillerGuest: Tim StevensProducer: Trent WolbeMusic: Born to be Wild 00:02:40 - Live from Verizon's iPhone event00: 07:02 - The Verizon iPhone00:10:30 - AT&T 'evaluating' support for iOS Personal Hotspot, no plans yet00:14:10 - AT&T iPhone 4 vs. Verizon iPhone 4: what's changed?00:22:10 - iOS 4.3 beta arrives for devs, brings AirPlay video support to apps, personal hotspot and customizable iPad side switch (update: video!)00:29:05 - Exclusive: The future of the iPad 2, iPhone 5, and Apple TV, and why Apple is shifting its mobile line to Qualcomm chipsets00:38:47 - IBM demonstrates Watson supercomputer in Jeopardy practice match00:45:00 - IBM's Watson supercomputer destroys all humans in Jeopardy practice round (video!)00:51:52 - Toyota debuts new Prius models, family-friendlier Prius V and funkier Prius C00:58:25 - Porsche unveils 918 RSR, the 767hp hybrid01:00:45 - Tesla Chief Engineer Peter Rawlinson geeks out with us about Model S design01:08:17 - A tour around the X-Prize winning Edison2 Very Light Car (video)Hear the podcastSubscribe to the podcast[iTunes] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in iTunes (enhanced AAC).[RSS MP3] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in MP3) to your RSS aggregator and have the show delivered automatically.[RSS AAC] Add the Engadget Podcast feed (in enhanced AAC) to your RSS aggregator.[Zune] Subscribe to the Podcast directly in the Zune MarketplaceDownload the podcastLISTEN (MP3)LISTEN (AAC)LISTEN (OGG)Contact the podcast1-888-ENGADGET or podcast (at) engadget (dot) com.Twitter: @joshuatopolsky @futurepaul @engadget @timstevens
