#Nexus 4 expiration delayed with CyanogenMod 14.1 Nougat

 Market analysts would say that the average turnover rate for most smartphones is two years, which is exactly how long most contracts last anyway. That is true even for Google’s Nexus devices. In that sense, the Nexus 4, launched way back in 2012, is way past its due date. But for those still with a perfectly serviceable unit, news of its death has been largely exaggerated. Especially now that there’s a CyanogenMod 14.1 nightly image for it, bringing the nutty goodness of Nougat to the phone.




To be clear, this is far from being a “stable” version of Android 7.0 Nougat for the Nexus 4, though CyanogenMod itself has done away with such labels for its rolling releases. The nightly builds, which are cooked, well, nightly, come with no guarantee of stability, which may change daily. But those who own a Nexus 4 hungry from some new dessert, they will most likely take what they can.

The biggest question will be whether it will be worth it for owners to risk running CM 14.1 nightly on their smartphone. The Nexus 4 definitely doesn’t have the hardware to support many of the features introduced in Android 7.0 and the upcoming 7.1. At the very least, the device’s aging hardware might not be able to handle much of those features in the first place. Still, as far as having the latest Android version is concerned, it is one of the only paths available for those who want to live on the cutting edge.

There is, however, no guarantee that the nightly builds will continue ad infinitum. Unlike Cyanogen OS, CyanogenMod development and support for devices is a purely volunteer-based work of love and enthusiasm. Should maintainers for the Nexus 4 branch meet an insurmountable problem, they are likely to drop work on it. Or wait for Android O.

Slashgear.com

Genesis mining promo code: CZL5k6

Redesigned #BMW i3 Electric Vehicle With Longer Range Tipped For 2017

BMW is reportedly cooking up a new i3 electric vehicle for 2017, increasing the car's range and updating its design.

Electric vehicles continue to gain momentum, but BMW hasn't been very successful in this segment of the auto market so far. While the automaker has been offering i3 electric vehicles for a few years now, it hasn't seen stellar demand.

Nevertheless, a neat redesign and a longer range could give the small electric vehicle just the boost it needs to become more successful.

BMW i3 Makeover

German publication Welt am Sonntag reports (via Reuters) that the BMW i3 model planned for next year will have both its front and rear ends redesigned. No images leaked just yet to offer a glimpse of the makeover, so it remains unclear for now just how the next BMW i3 will look like.

Increased Range

The publication further reveals that BMW will pack new battery technology into its next-generation i3, enabling the electric vehicle to have a longer range. The current BMW i3 can go for 114 miles on a full charge, but the range can be increased up to 180 miles via a "Range Extender."

Welt am Sonntag doesn't specify how long the new range will be, but it does note that it would be an increase of less than 50 percent. This means that the BMW i3 coming next year will still offer a mile range below 200 miles.

That's well below the range of other electric vehicles such as Tesla's Model S, but BMW's electric vehicles are more affordable than Tesla's. The Tesla Model S with a P100D battery, for instance, can run up to 300 miles on a single charge, but it starts at around $134,000 before incentives. The current BMW i3 with Range Extender, meanwhile, costs $47,450 (not including destination and other fees).

BMW Autonomous Vehicle Plans

The German publication also asked Klaus Fröhlich, BMW's head of Research & Development (R&D), about the automaker's plans for self-driving vehicles. Fröhlich said that BMW wanted to see a common standard for autonomous vehicles across the auto industry so that it could use the same systems and number of sensors.

As a reminder, BMW already teamed up with Intel and Mobileye earlier this year to create an open platform for autonomous vehicles by 2021. Mobileye also worked with Tesla on the carmaker's Autopilot system, but the two companies parted ways back in September.

It remains to be seen what BMW will offer next, but it may also look to score more partnerships to expand its offers. Fiat, for instance, partnered with Amazon to sell cars online, albeit the option is available only in Italy for now.

Techtimes.com

Genesis mining promo code: CZL5k6