Report claims VW to offer cash to drivers affected by dieselgate

Perhaps in a move to appease their customers, Volkswagen will reportedly compensate drivers affected by controversy the company finds itself in. VW has been reported to have developed cars that could cheat emissions test using the Defeat Device software in the car’s electronics. According to sources of The Truth About Cars, VW will launch a “TDI Goodwill Program” that will give TDI owners cash in the form of prepaid cards. In the US, they’ll get US$500 universal card and a VW-only card worth $500 to $750.

VW is set to make an announcement on Monday that could be related to this. But it may not include the range of cars reportedly affected by the scandal as VW claims that they didn’t cheat with some models. Aside from this though, VW is said to handing out deals to existing owners who’d want to get newer vehicles, and they are offering more discounts across the board.

Source: The Truth About Cars | Via: Engadget

iPad Pro available for preorder at MacMall

Online Mac specialty retailer MacMall is offering the upcoming iPad Pro for preorder with an early bird discount. The iPad Pro and its Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil accessories are expected to hit stores on November 13 (although Canadian availability and price is still up in the air). Apple hasn't enabled any preorders for the device on their website, which means early adopters will likely need to go to physical stores and take their chances on finding iPad Pros.

Being a new product, initial stock is expected to be constrained until manufacturing can ramp up production to meet demand. We saw a similar trend with the MacBook earlier this year, which trickled into Apple Retail Stores the first few weeks of its availability.

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Apple App Store gets Shopping category

It has been a bit tough for mobile shopping apps to be spotted on Apple’s App Store because these apps were previously located in the Lifestyle section of the store. Thankfully, Apple is giving them their own space with the new Shopping category—just in time for holiday shopping season. This doesn’t just help reduce a number of apps in the Lifestyle section, it also helps put the spotlight on apps that support Apple Pay, the company’s mobile payments technology. But this section won’t be limited to shopping apps, it also houses apps that will help you find apps that specialize in deals, latest trends, price checks, as well as product reviews.

To celebrate the new section, Apple also launched new featured collections such as “Save While You Shop” for deals and discounts, “Shop for Everything” with a variety of themes like “Chic,” “Rugged,” “Play Dates,” etc.

Source: TechCrunch

Google Maps and Search add business holiday hours

Unsure if your favorite restaurant or shop is open or closed this holiday season? Google is helping you out in this department by adding holiday hours of businesses. Businesses where holiday hours aren’t listed will show a warning message that alerts you that actual business hours might be different because of the holidays. If the shop you want to visit is indeed closed during the time you want to visit it, you can select the Open Now filter to see which shops or restaurant is open nearby.

Source: Google Maps