MINI is rolling on new ground today as it announces the first nine companies that will participate in the company’s URBAN-X startup accelerator program. The automaker has partnered with HAX, a division of venture capital firm SOSV, to create a cohort of innovative startups with the goal of improving the quality of life in cities.
Over the course of three months, the URBAN-X participants will refine their visions and launch their products and services. Each company will preview their interpretation of a better city life during an invite-only Demo Day on June 7, 2016.
Here’s the rundown on URBAN-X’s first accelerator class:
As you can tell from the descriptions, each of the startups is in a very early stage of defining its business model. One standout among them has to be MindRider; who doesn’t want to find the “best places,” via mental mapping? Who, we ask?!
We’ll see what comes from this venture over the next three months, but for now, it’s worth mentioning that MINI and HAX have joined forces to pair MINI’s design, engineering, and usability experience with HAX’s acceleration process, investing techniques, and rapid go-to-market strategy. The two organizations see dense urban dwellings as prime territory for innovation.
URBAN-X is already planning the kickoff of its next cohort in August of 2016. The startups will settle into a new 23,000 square foot space in Brooklyn this summer.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.