Just recently, the next generation Mac Pro was showcased in the Worldwide Developers Conference hosted by Apple. For the company, this is another way for them to increase their domination in the tech industry. Then, for Mac fans, this is an answer to their prayer. On the part of AMD, this will serve as a great opportunity for its GPU to be identified with the big players.

AMD on a Roll

According to ZDNet, the GPU developer has been on a roll lately. So far, its product successfully made its way into the new line of game consoles like the Playstation 4 and the Xbox One. I have reported in my earlier article in The Droid Guy too that it will no longer be exclusive to Windows Phone-based smartphones because it will be expanding its support to Android and Chrome OS devices.

Not One but Two GPUs for the Next Mac Pro

The ZDNet pointed out that while the CPU of the next Mac Pro primarily relied on Intel’s technology with its new generation Xeon CPUs, the Cupertino-based tech firm preferred AMD’s GPU for its graphics enhancement. For each unit of the product, the report said that it will not only have one AMD-based GPU because it will actually run on two AMD GPUs.

In the presentation of Apple in the most recent WWDC, the dual workstation GPUs will provide the new Mac Pro a speed which is 2.5 times faster than the current one. Specifically, it will have 4096 stream processors, 384-bit memory buses and 528 GBps total bandwidth said the report.

The Name of the New GPU

Despite the revelation of the major specs of the product, the name of the pair of GPUs that will be carried by the next generation Mac Pro was not yet revealed.

Enhanced Performance

The enhanced performance of the upcoming product was also attributed to its thermal core integrated in the middle of its processors.

Source: ZDNet and The Droid Guy

Tesla Motors is now performing great based on news published by Forbes. Despite facing near financial collapse in 2008, the electric car company has tripled its stocks now. In fact, the same publication likened the success story of Tesla to General Motors in 1915. Aside from the company, two giant automakers are celebrating its success, these are Daimler and Toyota.

Daimler’s Investment

Elon Musk, the chief executive of Tesla Motors, recalls that the company was in a near-death situation in 2008. The financial trouble it was facing was such that he had to use all his personal reserve capital and invest all of it for the company. He added that he was totally depleted in resources that he even had to borrow money to pay his rent.

But the capital was only enough to cover Tesla’s operation until the next year. Just when the future was about to look dim again for his company, Daimler made a timely save. The company’s small deal involving Smart battery packs with the parent company of the popular Mercedes-Benz brand, gained the confidence of the German automaker which resulted the latter to invest $50 million to it.

Additional Capital

Tesla further boosted its capital by securing a taxpayer’s loan amounting to $465 million. Then, as soon as the brand went public in 2010, Toyota invested $50 million to it.

A Good Move for the Automakers

The decision to invest for Tesla has proven to be a great decision for the two giant automakers because their investments surely paid off in terms of returns, according to the Forbes report. Moreover, Daimler and Toyota were able to utilize the technology of the electric car maker in their own brand of cars like the Smart car and the upcoming Mercedes-Benz B-Class EV for Daimler, and then the RAV4 EV for Toyota.

Daimler and Toyota Statements

Both companies have likened Tesla to themselves due to its hunger to innovation. Daimler praised the open approach of Tesla in coming up with effective technological solutions to issues and its ability to go beyond the point where no other companies have gone before. On the other hand, Toyota meant the same thing in its statement, adding that the company learned a lot with the different method of Tesla in terms of vehicle development.

Source: Forbes

The official announcement of the white LG Nexus 4 just came a few days ago. Almost immediately, the company followed it up with a quick release of the new variant of the device to the delight of smartphone fans who were eagerly anticipating it.

Availability

The new version of the LG Nexus 4 has been spotted in Google Play for U.S. customers. So, if you happened to live in the area and you want to immediately grab the opportunity to own the new variant of the unit, you can click the link here.

According to the source, the device was also simultaneously released in Singapore. However, there were no mention about the particular stores that offer it. But interested parties in the country should watch out for the authorized local dealers of LG smartphones if they want to buy the product.

Pricing

The white LG Nexus 4 has a price similar to its original version, which is the black-colored one. U.S. buyers can get the 8GB unit for only $299 while the 16GB product is worth $329. Google is giving away a bumper case too as a bonus to those who will purchase the unit under their online shop.

As for the white Nexus 4 in Singapore, there was no mention about the pricing set by LG.

Specifications

There were no changes in terms of the specs of the new variant compared to the original, said the source. The screen is still 4.7-inch with 720p HD resolution. Then, its processor is still the Snapdragon S4 Pro quad-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz with 2GB RAM. The camera remains to be 8MP and 2MP for the back and front respectively. Lastly, the Android 4.2 Jelly Bean was fixed as its operating system.

Rumors about the additional 4G LTE connection, 32GB internal memory and upgrade in OS seems to have not materialized so far. But looking at the specs and the price, buyers are certainly in for a great deal.

Source: GSMinsider

[Photo Source: TechRadar]

Interview with Woodside

During the interview, Woodside said that he is actually carrying the Moto X in his pocket. However, when he was asked to show it to the interviewer, he declined. Apparently, he was not allowed to reveal it to the media yet. Despite that, he did expose a lot of information about the soon to be released unit from his company.

The Moto X will be Made in the US

Woodside stated that the Moto X will be made in the US. He said that it is the first smartphone to be built in the country. Around 70 percent of the assembly process will take place in a plant near Fort Worth, Texas in a Nokia facility that has an area of 500,000 square feet. Then, an estimated 2,000 people will be employed for the manufacturing process by the end of August this year.

The Source of the Components

The main components of the product will be supplied by the 12 states of the US. But the processors will come from Taiwan and the OLED display will be shipped from Korea.

Contextual Awareness Feature

The new Moto X will be smarter than the smartphones of today. Based on Woodward’s interview, the new product will be equipped with advanced sensors that will make it “contextually aware”. That means the device will be able to profile the user and adjust its settings according to his or her preferences.

New Flagship Phone

The source speculates that the new phone will become Motorola’s new flagship phone when it comes out. But as regards to its release, there is no word yet when the Moto X will be launched officially.

Source: Android Authority

1953 Ferrari 340/375 MM Pinin Farina Berlinetta “Competizione”. [Photo Source: F1rst To Know]

Based on the report of Autoweek, the 1953 Ferrari sold for a staggering amount of $12,812,800. That already includes the additional fees and taxes imposed. So far, it is one of the most expensive cars to be sold at an auction event.

The report said that around 1,000 people attended the event. During that time, five vehicles were sold for more than 1 million Euros. It was also considered to be a successful occasion because 11 cars went more than the amount which were estimated during the pre-sale. People from 30 other countries participated in the event too via the Internet and phone.

The 1953 Ferrari Specs

Originally, the 1953 Ferrari was equipped with a 4.1-liter V12 prior to its upgrade to 340-bhp, 4.5-liter long block V12 derived from the 375 F1 cars said Autoweek. The car has a long and colorful history because it took part in some known races in the past including Ferrari’s Manufacturer’s Championship, Carrera Panamericana, 12 hours of Pescara and 24 hours of Spa. It was known to have been driven as well by three world champions in the World Sportscar Championship, namely Mike Hawton, Alberto Ascari and Nino Farina.

In addition, the car has underwent numerous restorations and maintenance works over the years which makes it worth its $12 million price tag.

About RM Auctions

RM Auctions is known for auctioning, restoring and appraising classic cars. The company also provides consultancy services to vintage car collectors. It has been in existence since 1976 and it currently hosts auction events in North America and Europe.

Source: Autoweek

The Samsung Galaxy S4 [Photo Source: TechRadar]

According to CNET, when DxO Labs compared the two major smartphones in the market today in terms of camera performance, the clear winner was the Samsung Galaxy S4. The device scored an overall of 75 points against the iPhone 5’s 72 points.

The Galaxy S4 Camera’s Advantages

In the assessment of the French Firm, the Galaxy S4 has better capture of still photos and videos. Then, it effectively functioned well in brightly lit environments. DxO pointed out that the advantage of the gadget is due to its 13-megapixel camera sensor which is more improved than its counterpart’s 8-megapixel lenses.

iPhone 5’s Edge

However, the flagship smartphone of Samsung did not totally dominate Apple’s flagship device. The iPhone 5 had fewer image-processing artifacts and its video stabilization stood out. Also, the Galaxy S4 showed poorer quality of outputs in areas with low lighting due to its noise plus oversharpened pictures that appeared to have halos.

The Best

There were actually other phones which were tested together with the two. So far, the Nokia 808 PureView outshined the Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5 in terms of camera. It actually gained an overall score of 77 points. The source said that it is too bad though that the product was dragged down by its Symbian OS which was considered to be a commercial failure in comparison to the operating systems of Samsung and Apple.

But hopefully, the rumored Eos smartphone of Nokia will elevate the brand later due to its top of the line Zeiss lens, larger image sensor and array cameras.

Source: CNET

Aston Martin’s CC100 Speedster concept car [Photo Source: Autoblog]

The Power and Speed

The new car sports a 6.0-liter V12-powered engine with six-speed sequential manual paddleshift gearbox. Despite the powerful engines, it is limited to go for only 180mph. However, it is capable of building up enough momentum to reach the 60mph mark in only four seconds.

The Look

The new car’s armor is made from carbon fiber materials which provides it a glossy but strong look. There is also a touch of past race cars in its design as it is somehow reminiscent of the Batmobile from the old Adam West Batman TV series and the Japanese anime Speedracer. But a notable car that is very much similar to the CC100’s design is the McLaren SLR Stirling Moss.

The McLaren SLR Stirling Moss [Photo Source: Autoblog]

According to the source, it only took the production team of Aston Martin six months to complete the CC100 concept car. That period already includes the bodywork of the two-seater and all of its other features.

Future Production

Autoblog pointed out that there are no indications of the CC100’s mass production in the future. However, it speculates that the company may consider it in the future considering their reputation of turning their concepts into production cars. So, if the demand of this car picks up, we might be seeing some of these in the streets later on.

Reception

Tens of thousands of spectators warmly welcomed the new car said the press release of Aston Martin which was featured by Autoblog. In the words of the company’s CEO, Dr. Ulrich Bez, the car symbolizes the grandeur of the brand. In addition, it is a representation of the rich heritage and capabilities of the brand, he said.

Source: Autoblog

The alleged Vodafone product list mentioning the iPhone 6. [Photo Source: Stuff]

Recently, Stuff published a spy shot of an alleged U.K. mobile operator’s till system that contains a product list with the “4G iPhone 6” in it. The website stated that the photo came from a U.K. operator store. Then, it quickly speculated that the iPhone 6 may be the coming soon instead of the much-anticipated iPhone 5S.

Although there was no mention in the original report from Stuff about the name of the carrier that owns the inventory list, Trusted Reviews and Know Your Mobile said that the network is none other than Vodafone UK.

Analysis

Know Your Mobile is pretty much skeptical about the presumption that there won’t be any iPhone 5S. It explained that it is not unusual for carriers to pre-emptively list expected devices under placeholder names, so the listed iPhone 6 could still become the iPhone 5S.

The site also questioned the excerpt revealed by Stuff because it did not display the whole document. It only posted a part of a document that mentioned the product, as seen in the picture above. So, there is a possibility that it is nothing more than a hearsay.

But what’s important from the leak is that it’s a clear indication that the network knows it is about to get a new iPhone model. This could suggest that the next iPhone is coming earlier than previously reported. This is because rumors circulated by known tech sites have said that the next Apple flagship smartphone will only be available sometime in August or September.

Sources: Stuff, Know Your Mobile and Trusted Reviews

[Photo Source: Autoblog]

The Specs

The concept car is capable of giving out as much as 503 horsepower and 413 pound-feet of torque. With that kind of power, the car can go from zero to 62 miles per hour in just a span of 3.9 seconds. The maximum speed of the car can also go up to 186 miles per hour.

The performance of the Design Vision GTI is further enhanced by its 20-inch wheels with carbon ceramic brakes that measure 15 inches at the front and 14 inches at the back. Then, its chassis has undergone some improvements as well. Hardware upgrades were given by engineers to the car in order to make the car very compact in dimension but will have a wider body and a lower stock.

The Design

The new Volkswagen car will sport an entirely new design. Among the things that it retained is its traditional brand logo at the front end as a shout out to its fans. Moreover, the traditional GTI colors of black, red and white are kept. As compared to the previous GTI, it is 0.6 inches shorter, 2.2 inches lower but 2.8 inches wider. There is an increase in the track size too, measuring around 62.2 inches at the rear and 62.8 at the front.

In the exterior, the dashboard of the car has been freed from unnecessary elements like switches and knobs. On the other hand, the console in the dashboard is strictly positioned on the driver’s side, maybe to prevent the person seated on the passenger side from tinkering with it.

In addition, X-shaped crossbars have been inserted at the rear seats and the door handles were replaced by red straps like the Porsche. A camera has been installed in its A-pillar to capture images from the front track or the driver’s area.

Source: Autoblog

[Photo Source: CNET]

Wong admitted that their plan for a Windows RT-powered tablet is ongoing. But they decided to hold it off for the moment until the new updates arrive.

Looking at the poor performance of RT-based tablets, we can’t really blame Acer for deciding to put into a halt their project for now. In Wong’s own words, he said that there is actually “no value doing the current version of the RT”. Acer is focusing instead on their Windows 8 and Android tablets plus their hybrid computers.

The interview with Wong took place in Acer’s event in New York last Friday. During that event, Acer unveiled its new Android tablet worth $169 called the Iconia A1. Together with the tablet were two hybrid computers from Aspire with the Windows 8 OS.

The Original Plan

According to TechRadar, before the new Windows 8 came out, the company was already planning on releasing a series of devices to run on the Windows RT. According to The Verge, this is because of the commitment of the company to support the RT OS of Microsoft. However, they immediately reconsidered their plans after the bad performance of the Microsoft tablet in the market.

Another Reason for the Hold

TechRadar stated that the delay should be until the second quarter of this year. But word got out that the updated Windows RT will be capable of supporting smaller tablets that are around 7 to 8 inches. Therefore, the source speculates that Acer might be thinking about utilizing that new feature as well.

Sources: The Verge and TechRadar