Nike+ going WiFi and 3G, headed to iPhone

Stuff.tv is kicking back in Nike's HQ at the moment and claims to have official word about Nike's future plans with Apple. They say that the Nike+ system will be "definitely" extend beyond the iPod nano to support the relatively bulky iPhone and iPod touch. Interestingly, it will leap-frog the proprietary RF link between the shoe module and nano adapter to take advantage of WiFi and eventually 3G. This of course leads to all kinds of speculation with regard to Apple's "lifestyle companion" patent we showed you last month. 3G support would presumably allow for real-time coaching and uploads of your training activity through the Nike Plus website. So let's see... cellphone (check), iPod (check), Internet device (check), handheld gaming (almost), and now a Nike lifestyle companion (could be).

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/11/nike-going-wifi-and-3g-headed-to-iphone/

More Xbox 360 Wiimote Details: Code Name 'Newton'

After MTV News broke the news on Microsoft designing a Nintendo Wii-like Wiimote for the Xbox 360, 8bitjoystick felt it was time to give up their secrets as well. Not only do they confirm that the project exists, but they can give up the codename for it: Newton. Jesus was kind enough to mock up a version of the controller based on MTV's sketch.

Jake also says that Microsoft has recently licensed patents from Gyration, maker of those gesture mice we all know and don't really care about. Nintendo did the same back in 2001 in order to help develop their own Wiimote.

The 360mote will also receive signal from an LED sensor bar (like the Wii), but one-ups the Wiimote by having a microphone on board for Xbox Live chat. He doesn't have many other solid points of data—there are guesses about it using the standard rechargeable battery pack and what colors it will have—but he does think the target date of late '08 looks very likely.


Source: http://gizmodo.com/377855/more-xbox-360-wiimote-details-code-name-newton

Alfa Romeo in talks with Jaguar over RWD platforms

If Alfa Romeo is serious about competing with Germany’s premium labels it will eventually have to drop its core FWD lineup or at least offer more affordable rear-drive models. However, the carmaker’s low volume status makes developing a brand new premium RWD platform unfeasible. One solution is to license an existing design from another carmaker, and latest reports claim that’s exactly what’s going to happen over the next couple of years as Alfa updates its lineup and prepares for its return to North America.

Alfa Romeo was previously rumored to be in talks with both Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac over possible platform sharing deals but the most likely carmaker to work with Alfa in the future is now shaping up to be Jaguar.

Jaguar was recently bought by India’s Tata, a company with close ties with Alfa Romeo’s parent Fiat. In 2006 Tata boss Ratan Tata joined Fiat’s board after being recommended by the Agnelli family, the owners of the controlling stake of Fiat, and Fiat and Tata are already tied up over an engine supply deal.

This collaboration will likely ensure access to Jaguar’s RWD technology is given to Alfa Romeo’s engineers. Speaking with our partners Auto Motor und Sport, Fiat development boss Harald Wester confirmed there were ongoing talks between the two carmakers over new RWD powertrains. He revealed the new rear-drive architecture could be used not only for Alfa Romeo but for Lancia and Maserati as well, although nothing is final yet.

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/cars/alfa-romeo/alfa-romeo-in-talks-with-jaguar-over-rwd-platforms/

Changan V802 Concept headed for Beijing Motor Show

Chinese car designers are rarely lauded for their efforts, mostly because of the country’s reputation for ‘borrowing’ designs from other brands, but a number of local carmakers are helping to turn around the bad rep with several interesting concepts planned for this month’s Beijing Motor Show. We’ve already seen Geely’s sporty GT concept, a new coupe with swooping lines and a very original front grille that looks both svelte and alluring.

Now we have a preview of Changan Auto’s V802 Concept, a compact hatch in a similar segment to the Honda Fit or Mazda2. Changan hasn’t confirmed any production plans, but when you consider how close to production this concept already seems we believe the green-light is a sure bet. Next month’s Beijing event should also provide us with more clues about the car’s future, including the new mechanical package residing underneath its sheet metal.

The sheer number of Chinese carmakers planning hatchback concepts for this year’s Beijing event shows the market is maturing and is now looking past the sedan.


Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/concept-cars/changan-v802-concept-headed-for-beijing-motor-show/

Land Rover celebrating 60th anniversary with Goodwood appearance

Land Rover will be celebrating its 60th anniversary as the featured marque at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in July and will showcase a new automotive sculpture by artist Gerry Juddah.

The sculpture will incorporate an original 1948 Land Rover, a selection of vehicles from the carmaker’s model range and will be finished with the latest LRX concept cross-coupe (pictured) unveiled at the recent Detroit and Geneva Motor Shows.

Land Rover will also showcase its special edition Defender SVX, launched to mark the anniversary. On the outside the SVX is as tough as its 1948 predecessor but inside it comes equipped with satellite navigation, Recaro seats and iPod compatibility.

Also on show will be Land Rover’s ‘Terrapod’ and ‘mini-terrapod’ hill descent simulators, which will be open to the public to test out the off-road capability of a number of the carmaker’s SUV products. Land Rover plans to donate all proceeds it receives at the event to the British Red Cross.

Source: http://www.motorauthority.com/news/suvs/land-rover-celebrating-60th-anniversary-with-appearance-at-goodwood/

Nikon intros the Coolpix P80, encourages you to zoom

Not been zooming in on "things" enough lately? Well maybe Nikon can help. The company is introducing the new Coolpix P80 18x zoom camera, which covers focal lengths from 27mm to 486mm -- which is a ton of millimeters. The P80 also sports the camera-maker's fancy pants NIKKOR optics, burst modes in four, six, and 13 FPS, ISO to 6400, and a 2.7-inch, anti-reflective LCD display. The camera has a slew of onboard tweaks that make capturing your family get-togethers or drunken escapades easier (provided the two events are separate), like auto redeye reduction and face detection (Face Priority AF). The Coolpix P80 will be available this month for the astonishing MSRP of $399.99. Check the gallery below for a number of revealing angles.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/10/nikon-intros-the-coolpix-p80-encourages-you-to-zoom/

Gateway P-172X FX gaming laptop unboxing and hands-on

If you're a gamer on the move (and we think that you are), you're probably eyeing some monster laptops. If you're looking to bro-down with one in the near future, take a moment to familiarize yourself with Gateway's latest 17-incher, the P-172X FX. The updated rig (a new riff on the similarly-themed P-171) features a Core 2 Duo CPU (the 2.4GHz T8300), 1920 x 1200 resolution, 4GB of RAM, a 320GB hard drive, NVIDIA's GeForce 8800M GTS GPU (with 512MB of GDDR3 RAM), a DVD-R/RW/RAM optical drive, and a nasty mess of ports and card slots. We got to take the dude out for a spin, and performance was definitely up to par (translation: it plays Crysis), though the design left a little something to be desired, like... style. A cheaper, 2.0GHz version with half the drive space, lower screen resolution, and a gig less RAM is available, though it maintains the GPU and graphics memory. The P-172X FX is available right now for $1,999, and kid brother P-172S FX will run you $1,399. Check the gallery below for a full and proper look.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/10/gateway-p-172x-fx-gaming-laptop-unboxing-and-hands-on/

3G iPhone rumors building up steam

Apple's next big event is still over two months away, but the iPhone rumor mill is suddenly in full swing, and we'd say the buzz is back after that short-lived Mossberg "60 days" euphoria wore off. Tgdaily is the one making waves today, claiming that we'll see next-gen 8GB and 16GB iPhones debut at WWDC this June for $399 and $499, and that the iPod touch will always offer twice the storage at any given price point. The new units are said to feature revised casings that eliminate the current model's "plasticky" feel, which is interesting, because that supposedly-leaked image from the other day seems pretty ultra-plasticky to us, but we're not exactly expecting any of these rumors to be true, let alone add up. Other than the re-design, tgdaily says there aren't any OS or interface changes in store, and that Apple is really serious about building the Cocoa Touch platform in addition to OS X-- hence the two bridges on those WWDC invites that went out. That's about it -- nothing too shocking, really, but we'd still take all this stuff with a huge grain of salt until Steve sets things straight.


Source: http://www.engadget.com/2008/04/09/3g-iphone-rumors-building-up-steam/