T3 India

Nathan George

OnePlus 2 invite system is officially live

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You’re now free to sign up on the OnePlus website for a chance to win an invitation to buy the company’s next smartphone, the highly-anticipated OnePlus 2.

Like its predecessor, the OnePlus One, you can’t just pick it up in any old phone shop. It will only be available for purchase with an invite, at first anyway.

You better not waste time, though, as the invite list is already stacking up. Over 100,000 people have already reportedly signed up, so it’s best to get it straight out of the way rather than run the risk of missing out.

There shouldn’t be the same inventory problems as last time though. OnePlus recently confirmed that it was holding 30 to 50 times the launch inventory for the OnePlus 2 compared to the OnePlus One, so there should be enough to go around.

As well as opening the floodgates, OnePlus has also made its virtual reality launch app available on the Play Store. It will let you watch the OnePlus 2 launch in 360-degree virtual reality. Obviously, though, you must need a VR headset for your phone as well as the Android app running.

Like this? Check out New Moto X (2015): everything we think we know.

Apple reportedly wants to base its electric car on the BMW i3

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That’s according to German publication Manager Magazin (via 9to5Mac). Their ‘sources’ claim that Apple has kicked off negotiations to use the BMW i3 as a basis for its own electric car.

Apparently the iPhone 6 maker is very interested in the i3’s carbon fiber body. The report states that Apple CEO Tim Cook and other executives from Cupertino HQ have already visited BMW’s production facility in Leipzig, Germany to take a look around and see if a deal can be met.

While the i3 hasn’t been the smash-hit BMW probably expected or nearly as ground-breaking as Tesla’s electric cars, its carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body shell has made it the most energy efficient vehicle sold in the US.

Along with i8, the i3 has helped BMW sell a higher percentage of plug-in vehicles in the States than any other car maker, so it’s not hard to see the appeal it’s had for Apple.

The i3 isn’t hugely impressive on a technical level – especially compared to what Tesla has accomplished – but it is cheaper than one of Elon Musk’s rides. We’ve previously heard that Apple will being car production in 2020, so it’s got loads of time to develop the tech to go with it.

It’s worth noting that this wouldn’t be the first time BMW has dealt with Apple. Back in March, the company said it was working on connected car possibilities with Apple devices, and now you can use an Apple Watch to unlock an i3 or i8.

As of yet, the i3 deal isn’t confirmed. The report says negotiations began last autumn, but were broken off and recently revisited. We’ll be sure to keep our ears to the ground for updates. 

BlackBerry may be forced to stop making phones

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BlackBerry has had a rough time of late, and it’s all down to money – or the lack of it rather. While it’s planning a comeback this year, CEO John Chen says the Canadian firm might have to get out of the smartphone game all together if the money doesn’t start rolling in soon.

“At a certain point in time, the economics take over,” explained the CEO.

The Bloomberg report reads: “If the current state continues for a long ‘long time’ and drags down the company’s shareholders and balance sheet, it wouldn’t be right to keep going.”

We can’t say we’re too surprised. After all, BlackBerry’s fall from grace has been well documented. When Chen joined the company, the company’s share of the smartphone market had slumped to less than one per cent, but sadly even his efforts have failed to make the required impact.

In the most recent quarter, the company’s smartphone turnover fell to $263 million – that’s 31 per cent down year-on-year. BlackBerry has also developed a number of handsets since Chen joined, including the Passport and the Classic, but the duo have not sold well.

BlackBerry’s next handset is widely tipped to be a premium Android phone dubbed the ‘Venice’ – which we got a first-look at earlier this month – followed by a low-end device known as the ‘Prague’.

Time will tell whether teaming up with Android was the right move. For BlackBerry's own sake, it needs to be. Otherwise BlackBerry will have no choice but to jump ship and try something new, BlackBerry PCs perhaps?

Boeing developing a drone that can deliver spyware

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Boeing subsidiary Insitu, which specialises in unmanned aerial vehicles, is teaming up with Hacking Team – which develops surveillance tech – to build a drone that can remotely hack a device.

It will be capable of targeting a suspect’s smartphone or computer through a Wi-Fi network. From there, it can access files, calls, chats, emails and more. Even if the target only connects for a brief second, the drone could slip in surveillance code from a safe distance.

The news came to light after a hacker attacked Milan-based Hacking Team earlier this month, and released hundreds of gigabytes of company information online. Now it’s all been published on WikiLeaks for everyone to see. Among the emails is a recap of a meeting in June of this year, which gives a “roadmap” of projects that Hacking Team’s engineers have underway.

The hacking drone tops the list: “Develop a way to infect computers via drone. One engineer is assigned the task of developing a ‘mini’ infection device, which could be ‘ruggedized’ and ‘transportable by drone (!)’ the write-up notes.

It’s worth mentioning that the conversation was still in the early stages, so there’s’ no need to worry about any drones listening in on your phone calls or reading your Facebook messages, not just yet anyway.  

Via: The Intercept

Tesla’s new ‘Ludicrous Mode’ makes the Model S a beast

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Speed freaks usually disregard the environment with gas-guzzling vehicles, but now they can don an electric car. Tesla’s new Ludicrous Mode makes the Model S reach 155mph 20 per cent faster than the bog-standard version.  

The boost, which comes via the aid of a new “smart fuse” allows the car to accelerate at 1.1G, which CEO Elon Musk says makes it “faster than falling.”

Beyond the fuse, Musk added: ”That was combined with upgrading the main pack contractor to use inconel (a high temperature space-grade superalloy) instead of steel so that it remains springy under the heat of heavy current."

Ludicrous Mode isn’t exclusively for the Model S either. Musk confirmed that it would feature on the Tesla Model X SUV following testing, which will boost its 0-60 time to 3.3 seconds.

The only caveat is the price. It isn’t exactly a cheap add-on, going for a hefty $10,000. If you’re already driving a Model S but want to upgrade, then you can get Ludicrous Mode installed for $5,000 within the next six months.

Tesla also announced plans to revisit its original electric car: the Roadster. It was originally released in 2008, but Tesla plans to release a new and improved version in 2019.