| Viper outs SmartStart 3.0, knows where your car is and what it's up to Jun 1st 2012, 19:38  Viper reckons it can be your singular, all-round vehicle app judging by the considerable leap in features for version 3.0 of its Android, iOS or Blackberry SmartStart. On top of previous car lock, security and ignition controls, the aux channels now let you monkey with other parts from afar, like the sunroof, windows, stereo, AC and more. The new SmartSchedule pings you when it's time to (remotely) start 'er up, and vehicle diagnostics flag engine issues through DTC repair codes, if you drive certain models. The jazziest addition is the Directed Cloud Services which let you monitor your car's status and position through GPS, and start it, lock it, or access the other aforementioned controls -- regardless of where in the world you both are. For the true micro-manager, there's no such thing as overkill. Viper outs SmartStart 3.0, knows where your car is and what it's up to originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink |  PR Newswire | Email this | Comments | | Huawei Ascend P1 review Jun 1st 2012, 19:00  Drastic product strategy adjustments appear to be a hot trend for smartphone manufacturers in 2012, and Huawei is one such example of a company doing its best to hang out with the cool kids. It's hard to blame it, of course: the OEM's previous success has been in its ability to crank out budget-friendly smartphones, feature phones and USB sticks like nobody's business and pushing them out to emerging markets. The story's even more dire within the US, as most carriers have kept Huawei out of the spotlight by choosing very few of its devices, white-labeling each one and selling them as prepaid. In an effort to gain awareness and improve its market share, Huawei's turned to establishing brand recognition and improving device selection as its focal points for 2012.
Barely a week into the new year, Huawei took to the stage at the Consumer Electronics Show to showcase the Ascend P1 and P1 S. These two smartphones, nearly identical twins with the exception of the P1 S' thinner profile and (oddly enough) larger battery, represented the first phase in the company's new product strategy. The pair were to be powerful new devices with a classy, stylish look and feel. This was a welcome move since Huawei's best product prior to CES was the Honor, a 1.4GHz single-core device with a 4-inch FWVGA display.
Until Huawei launches its top-tier Diamond series of smartphones (including the ultra-powerful D Quad), the Ascend P1 -- which is expected to arrive in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Australia by the end of the month at an unknown price -- will be the company's best offering. Naturally, we were eager to take this Platinum series (second tier) device for a spin. Is the P1 truly a sign of Huawei turning a new leaf? Does it hold its own against similarly specced competition? Follow us past the break to find out. Continue reading Huawei Ascend P1 review Huawei Ascend P1 review originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 15:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | | Stuxnet pinned on US and Israel as an out-of-control creation Jun 1st 2012, 18:48  Ever since Stuxnet was discovered, most of the accusing fingers have been pointed at the US, Israel or both, whether or not there was any evidence; it was hard to ignore malware that seemed tailor-made for wrecking Iranian centrifuges and slowing down the country's nuclear development. As it turns out, Occam's Razor is in full effect. An exposé from the New York Times matter-of-factly claims that the US and Israel coded Stuxnet as part of a cyberwar op, Olympic Games, and snuck it on to a USB thumb drive that infected computers at the Natanz nuclear facility. The reason we know about the infection at all, insiders say, is that it got out of control: someone modified the code or otherwise got it to spread through an infected PC carried outside, pushing Obama to either double down (which he did) or back off. Despite all its connections, the newspaper couldn't confirm whether or not the new Flame malware attack is another US creation. Tipsters did, however, deny that Flame is part of the Olympic Games push -- raising the possibility that there are other agencies at work. [Image credit: David Holt, Flickr] Stuxnet pinned on US and Israel as an out-of-control creation originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 01 Jun 2012 14:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Ars Technica | New York Times | Email this | Comments | |
