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2019 Volvo V60 is your new lustworthy plug-in wagon
What is Google Reply (and How It Works)
Apple is trying to lock down battery components before electric carmakers get them

2019 Volvo V60 is your new lustworthy plug-in wagon

Posted: 21 Feb 2018 07:10 AM PST

"Few car makers can match Volvo Cars' history and credibility in making well-designed, practical and versatile estate cars." That's a bold statement, direct from Volvo's press release. But let's face it, it's true. Look at the stunning V90, and then have a glance at this brand-new V60. You want an all-weather wagon that's drop-dead gorgeous? Nobody does it quite like Volvo.

Yes, the 60- and 90-series cars are all starting to look like Russian dolls -- the same basic formula in slightly different sizes -- but that's hardly reason for complaint. New Volvos are some of the best-looking cars on the road today, and the V60's design is yet another exercise in tasteful elegance. The "Thor's Hammer" LED lights proudly flank the grille, with large wheels at all four corners and L-shaped tail lamps that follow the shape of the D-pillar and then slice inward toward the center of the hatch.

The most obvious difference between the V60 and big-brother V90 is in length. The V60 is almost 7 inches shorter than the V90, though the wheelbase length has only been reduced by 3.9 inches. Elsewhere, the V60 is only an inch or two smaller in both width and height.

Look familiar? The V60 uses the same interior design as the XC60... and V90... and S90... and XC90.

Volvo

Good luck spotting any big differences inside the cabin. The V60's interior is visually identical to that of the XC60 crossover and 90-series cars, with a vertically oriented touchscreen in the center console, only a few buttons and knobs below it, a digital gauge cluster and the same lovely wood and aluminum inlays on the dash and doors. The Sensus infotainment system carries over unchanged, is fully compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and has a built-in 4G wifi hotspot.

Six powertrains will be offered worldwide: two T5 and T6 petrol engines, two D3 and D4 diesels (not for the US, of course -- especially with their six-speed manual transmissions), and two gasoline-electric plug-in hybrids. That's right, Volvo is expanding its plug-in offerings, and the V60 is the first model to use the smaller T6 Twin Engine setup, in addition to the larger T8.

The 2.0-liter turbo inline-four engine in the T6 produces 310 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, and only comes with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. Volvo says this combination allows the V60 to sprint to 62 miles per hour in a respectable 5.8 seconds. Base T5 engine specs aren't available just yet.

The V60 will come with two PHEV powertrains. Plug it in, plug it in.

Volvo

Both Twin Engine plug-in hybrids essentially use the same powertrain: A 2.0-liter gasoline inline-four paired with a 65-kilowatt electric motor, an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The only difference is the specific output of the gas engine. In the T6 Twin Engine, the 2.0-liter makes 253 horsepower and 258 pound-feet, while in the T8, those ratings are upped to 303 horsepower and 295 pound-feet. The overall system output for the T6 Twin Engine is 340 horsepower and 435 pound-feet, while the T8 makes 390 horsepower and 472 pound-feet. Both models have the same electric-only range of up to 28 miles, and despite their different power outputs, both will do the 0-62 mph run in 4.8 seconds.

Being a Volvo, the V60 comes with a number of safety and driver assistance systems, including City Safety with Autobrake. The V60 also gets Volvo's semi-autonomous Pilot Assist system, which aids with steering, acceleration and braking at speeds up to 80 mph. You'll also find lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring and other active safety features.

The V60 goes on sale later this year, and it'll also be available via the Care by Volvo vehicle subscription service. Official MSRP and subscription pricing will be announced at a later date. Following its official reveal in Stockholm, Sweden today, the V60 will greet the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Expect the S60 sedan to debut in the not-too-distant future, too. You'll never guess what it looks like.

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What is Google Reply (and How It Works)

Posted: 21 Feb 2018 05:44 AM PST

Google is developing a new AI-based messaging technology for Android dubbed Reply.

But instead of being a whole new app, Reply enhances messaging notifications, making it easier to respond to messages from a variety of apps, including WhatsApp, Twitter and Slack.

Google Reply takes the suggested responses from Gmail (pictured here) and places them into notifications.

Reply streamlines messaging by giving users a series of options in the notifications for those messages. It's similar to the automatic email responses that Google introduced in Gmail Inbox and rolled into the official Gmail app.

MORE: Android P Features: What's New in Google's Next OS

While suggested replies can be yes or no responses if you're asked a simple question, the feature will also use its AI-based smarts for more complex queries. One example from Google shows Reply providing the estimated time it will take to drive home, when you've been asked "When can you be home?"

Credit: Android Police

According to Android Police, Google's Area 120 group (which develops experimental projects) is managing Reply invitations, and promoted the app with this message:

You probably get a lot of chat messages. And you want to be there for people, but also for people in the real world. What if replying were literally one tap away?
Reply puts the Smart Reply you may know from Google right into notifications from the chat apps you use most often.

How to Install Reply

While users can sign up here to request access to the beta, the app itself has already leaked and is available to download from APK Mirror. You'll want to download that file onto your Android device, but before you can install it, you need to enable side-loading.

To do this, open Android's Settings app, tap Security and check the box next to Unknown Sources, which allows you to install apps from places other than the Google Play Store. Then, find the APK file you downloaded earlier, and open it to install.

Of course, we should note that you might want to disable side-loading after you install Reply, as keeping this feature always enabled leaves your device opened to the installation of malware.

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Apple is trying to lock down battery components before electric carmakers get them

Posted: 21 Feb 2018 06:09 AM PST

Apple is in talks to buy cobalt directly from miners to help shield it from any shortages sparked by the boom in electric cars, according to a report from Bloomberg. Cobalt is a key mineral used in lithium-ion batteries, and Bloomberg says that Apple is looking to secure contracts for several thousand metric tons of cobalt each year for five years or longer. Its first discussions for deals took place a year ago, but another source told Bloomberg that Apple might not even go ahead with the plans.

If Apple does end up buying cobalt directly, it will be in competition with car manufacturers and battery makers in locking up supplies of the raw material. Car giants like BMW and Volkswagen are also searching for multiyear deals to ensure they also have enough cobalt to meet targets in electric car production. Bloomberg reports that smartphone batteries use around eight grams of refined cobalt, but a battery for an electric car needs more than a thousand times that amount.

Apple has previously left cobalt buying to the companies that produce its batteries. Bloomberg notes that about a quarter of global cobalt production is used in smartphones and that Apple is keen to shore up its cobalt supplies to have enough for sufficient production of iPhone and iPad batteries.

Two-thirds of the cobalt resource is mined in Congo, where there are ethical and human rights issues. An Amnesty International investigation had previously found cobalt mined by child laborers in Congo may be entering the supply chains of companies like Apple, Samsung, Microsoft, and Volkswagen. Apple has since said it would prevent cobalt from small-scale mines entering its supply chain until "we are confident that the appropriate protections are in place." It has also published a supplier responsibility guide and says that it completed its supply chain mapping for cobalt in 2016.

This is not the first time Apple has moved to secure a resource by locking supply for a favorable price and to guarantee availability for itself. In 2005, Apple secured long-term supply agreements for NAND flash drives used in products including iPods and iPhones. That eventually led to market shortages. For now, cobalt in our smart devices looks to stay as central to our lives as vibranium in Wakanda.

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