Category: News

TG01 Receives a Windows Mobile 6.5.3 ROM but no WMPU ROM in sight. The ROM was released today at 11AM by ffboy2009. While the first 6.5.5 ROM was released last night by another XDA member, this one comes with all that and more eye candy. The ROM is running on WM6.5.5 CE OS 5.2.23563 and comes with not much changes but to the TG01 users its just enough.

details:
1.No more masterclear bug
2.added new theme and single power iocn,u guys will see it in the screen snapshot
3.free RAM on boot is about 80M,ROM is 231.23MB
4.add shutdown in the start menu,u can shut ur phone without the power key
5.if u like the black theme,u can change theme to Condor GT Black Edition in the Setting-Home

If you want a ROM to install on your device and do not want to wait on l3v5y’s version that he said in a recent tweet “it should be released this weekend,” this is the next step down.

Read More about the ROM

Chevrolet Volt MPV5

The styling of the Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept borrows design and aerodynamic cues from the Chevrolet Volt.

The front fascia is among the most aerodynamic of any crossover thanks to its closed grille and aero-optimized lower air dam, both of which help improve fuel efficiency.

A full-underbody belly pan, along with rocker claddings, creased tail lamps and specially designed blades on the rear quarter, also help the Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept cut through the wind with ease. The intense focus on improved aerodynamics enables greater all-electric range.

The exterior of the Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept isn’t solely about efficiency. Its Sonic Blue Metallic paint provides a contemporary appeal, while the dual skylight panels and 19-inch Volt-inspired wheels build the Chevy Volt MPV5 concept’s sporty credentials.

The Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept’s dimensions provide added passenger comfort. While the 2,760-mm wheelbase of the Volt MPV5 concept is a mere 15 mm longer than the wheelbase of the Chevrolet Volt, its body is 181 mm longer (4,585 mm), 73 mm wider (1,871 mm) and 182 mm taller (1,612 mm) than the Volt.

Inside, the Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept adopts the Volt’s center stack and gauge cluster along with its striking two-tone leather seats. Thanks to the Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept’s size, passenger comfort doesn’t take a backseat.

Typical for Chevrolet crossovers, the Volt MPV5 concept’s seating position allows for maximum comfort and flexibility, including improved entry and egress.

When it comes to cargo, the Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept carries on the crossover tradition thanks to its flip-and-fold second row seating, which provides up to 1,764.1 liters of cargo space with the seats folded and 863.7 liters of space behind the second row.

The Chevrolet Volt MPV5 concept utilizes the same Voltec propulsion system found in the Chevrolet Volt, including the added capability of an engine generator to extend the driving range and eliminate “range anxiety.” A 16-kWh T-shaped lithium-ion battery pack powers the electric drive unit.

The flexibility of the Voltec system enables the Chevy Volt MPV5 concept to meet full vehicle speed and acceleration requirements while driving the vehicle and its five occupants up to 51.5 km on pure electric propulsion. This is double what the average urban commuter in China travels each day. When the battery is depleted, a 1.4-liter engine generator sustains the battery charge and provides up to 482 km of electric propulsion.

GM continues to advance electrification in China through research and development. It has launched the China Automotive Energy Research Center (CAERC) in Beijing. The venture with SAIC and Tsinghua University is developing a comprehensive automotive energy strategy for China.

The GM China Science Lab, which opened last November, is carrying out advanced automotive-related research, including battery development. In March, GM introduced the EN-V (Electric Networked-Vehicle) concepts in Shanghai.

A centerpiece of the SAIC-GM Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai, EN-V embodies GM’s vision for personal urban mobility in 2030. In addition, GM is supporting its Shanghai GM joint venture’s “Drive to Green” strategy, which is focused on developing green products, supporting green manufacturing and undertaking a green responsibility.

While Chrysler has failed to find a way to update or replace the retro-styled PT Cruiser, we can definitely see this as a forthcoming replacement to the Chevrolet HHR. The Volt MPV5 is slightly larger than HHR, but fills a similar market niche.

While Chevrolet hasn’t announced a firm production commitment, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the MPV5 built in both conventional and ER-EV forms to help jack up GM’s light truck CAFE numbers.

The roomy interior will likely find a bigger audience than the smaller Volt while still yielding a 32 mile electric range, and if we had to guess, we’d see the Orlando-inspired plug-in EV hit the market by 2013.

2010 Chevrolet Volt MPV5 Concept (2010 Beijing Auto Show)

Credit foto: Autowereld, Holland

Age old question: Do these amazing, sometimes magical devices we push our ears countless times per day cause cancer? Great news! I can totally answer that question for you. Just check back with me in 2040. More »

Sieve! Sieve! Sieve!

Another roadmap slide from Dell has been uncovered by the guys over at Android Central. The three new devices appearing in the slide are a netbook/tablet hybrid (Sparta), a sub 2 pound netbook (Athens), and finally an HD version of the previously leaked Looking Glass tablet.

The Sparta appears to be a new convertible form factor with its screen capable of rotating within the frame. The rest of the specs are fairly standard netbook fare with a 1024 x 768 TFT screen, an Arm processor, Wifi, Bluetooth, and optional 3G. The Sparta is targeted for launch this Fall and could come sporting either Android or Moblin.

The Athens shares the Sparta’s internals, but offers a more traditional netbook body. The sub-2 pound weight is fairly impressive here as Dell’s current 10″ netbook offering comes in at 2.6 pounds, so they’ve added an inch to the screen while shaving over half a pound off the total weight. The Athens is slotted for release in time for the holiday season.

Finally we have the Looking Glass Pro; the “Pro” moniker carries with it an upgraded HD screen resolution and an optional TV tuner, but otherwise it matches up with the already leaked Looking Glass. You’ll probably notice in the slide that the “LG Pro” appears with a dotted line around it unlike the others which may suggest that the Q1 2010 release timeframe is tentative.

The Streak makes an encore appearance in the slides as well with some carrier details. The U.S. release will be this summer on T-Mobile as was suggested by the FCC documents last week. Vodafone will be the carrier of choice in the EU and should also see the Streak this Summer. China’s release will come just a couple months later, with all three major carriers there picking up the device.

As Engadget is quick to point out there are a number of details that point to this being a possibly quite old roadmap so it should probably be taken with a grain of salt. Some of the outdated references include; Bender which was the original name for the Astro File Manager, Windows Mobile rather than Windows Phone 7, and finally Moblin in place of MeeGo.

The Sparta definitely seems to be the wild card in the group; I’m curious to hear what everyone think of that form factor.

Related Posts

• Android will be a streaming video powerhouse by the end of the year
• Dell Looking Glass tablet features Tegra 2
• Dell Streak 5 gets FCC approval in T-Mobile version
• Dell Mini 5 also coming in AWS version (aka T-Mobile)
• Michael Dell shows off Android-powered Mini 5

2010 Audi Q5 vs Lexus RX 350

This is a comparison review of the 2010 Audi Q5 and the Lexus RX 350

2010 Acura MDX Review

About Acura
The Acura MDX, or Honda MDX as known in Japan and Australia, is a mid-size crossover SUV produced by the Japanese automaker Acura since the 2001 model year.

The MDX is the first crossover SUV to have third-row seating. It is related to the Honda Pilot.

The alphanumeric moniker stands for “Multi-Dimensional luXury”. It is built by Honda of Canada Manufacturing Ltd. in Alliston, Ontario, Canada. It was introduced in late 2000 as a 2001 model, replacing the slow-selling U.S.-only body-on-frame SLX, based on the Isuzu Trooper.

In Japan, it filled a gap when the Honda Horizon (also based on the Trooper) was discontinued in 1999. In 2003, the Honda MDX went on sale in Japan and Australia. Australian MDXs were all equipped with the 2001-2003 Touring ‘Kiwi’ style wheels and were all equipped with the Rear-Seat DVD entertainment system. Acura is currently creating a crossover to slot above the MDX.

2010 Acura MDX Overview

The 2010 MDX gets a facelift, adopting Acura’s new “Power Plenum” grille that debuted on its 2009 model year sedans. The most important upgrades to the 2010 model are a new 3.7-liter engine and a new 6-speed SportShift automatic transmission.

An Advance package is now available that includes Adaptive Cruise Control, Active Damper Suspension, 19 inch wheels and tires, Ventilated seats and paddle shifters. Non-navigation equipped MDX models now have a rear view camera monitor located in the rear view mirror.

(via Wikipedia)

2010 Acura MDX Video Demonstrations – Part 1

2010 Acura MDX Video Demonstrations – Part 2

Check for more information on Acura Official Website

If you do not know… GTX was a theme created and maintained by my friend El condor and his team mate Kamill. However, they stopped working on the theme but luckily Dark Ninja has taken over and will continue working on the graphics. Him and his team of  designers have taken it upon themselves to continue working on the design and from the new look, I think they have a lot more to come.

He had this to say:

As you all may know already, after the awsome work ElCondor and Kamill put to the theme further development was cancelled. Therefore i’m starting this new thread which will carry on development of GTX and help maintain the theme.

The GTX theme is originally made by ElCondor & Kamill.. Thanks for all their work they originally put in..

There is obviously a lot of work needed and i dont think anyone would be able to handle it on their own. Therefore we have put together a team for the later releases of the GTX theme.

Heres a few screenshots. 1st the GTX theme with a few differences. 2nd is the GTX theme with co0kies home tab.

This is still work in progress so it may differ from the end result.
(yeah i know there’s loads of screens Sorry :\ 0.o)

I am excited this theme will stay in production, it has very much to offer and with Dark Ninja working on it, we know it will be pushed to the max.

Stay up to date here

2010 New Acura MDX

Acura ZDX

From the 2009 New York Auto Show, Cars.com’s Kelsey Mays takes a look at the Acura ZDX Prototype. It competes with the BMW X6 and Infiniti FX.

2011 Acura NSX Finally Hits the Nürburgring

The latest prototype of the 2011 Acura NSX has finally hit the Nürburgring and it’s looking — and sounding — better than ever.

Unlike the previous prototypes — which were nothing more than cobbled-together test mules built from the S2000 platform — this NSX has bodywork that looks close to production specification…

Although the design of the original concept didn’t get favorable reviews, it appears as though Acura has stuck with similar styling for the production car. Instead of going for an all-out sports car, Acura is aiming for high-end GTs instead.

Think Aston Martin DB9, not Nissan GT-R. As a result, Acura has abandoned its former midengine concept and adopted a traditional front-engine 2+2 layout. The company is after prestige, not just speed.

That said, the 2011 Acura NSX is still expected to offer supercar performance. According to our sources in Japan, Takeo Fukui, Honda’s CEO, has tasked his R&D team with building an NSX that’s faster around the Nürburgring than both the 2009 Nissan GT-R and the upcoming Lexus LF-A.

Sounds optimistic, but according to our shooters Honda is already close to its goal. One hand timed lap came in at 7:37, just 8 seconds longer than the GT-R’s fastest lap. Not bad considering that this was Honda’s first trip to the Nürburgring with this prototype.

Credit the NSX’s formidable new power plant, a 5.5-liter V10 with as much as 550 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. The engine is a slightly larger version of the V8 that Honda will use for the next-generation rear-wheel-drive RL sedan, and it will use cylinder deactivation under light loads for maximum efficiency.

Additional efficiency gains will come from the use of an eight-speed automatic transmission that will feature shift paddles on the steering wheel.

Getting all this power to the ground will be a challenge in a front-engine car, so the new NSX will employ a modified version of Honda’s Super-Handling All-Wheel-Drive (SH-AWD) system.

Packaging could be tight, however, with the big V10 up front. A combination of steel and aluminum will be used for the chassis that will form the basis for what looks like a relatively small car.

We have reports of NSX mules being tested in the U.S. alongside the Aston Martin DB9, Mercedes-Benz SL550 and the Porsche 911 Turbo, so this should tell you about the kind of car the NSX will become.

There’s still time for changes, though, as the 2011 Acura NSX isn’t expected to go on sale until late 2010. Who knows what Nissan and Lexus will have on the road by then, but from the sound of it, Honda is making sure that the NSX won’t be lagging behind.

Acura TL Video Review

2009 Acura TL. The styling of the Acura TL may not appeal to everyone but we think most buyers will appreciate the improved interior space, comfort and advanced technology of the latest generation.

To meet the varying needs of customers, the TL is offered in two flavors, a front-wheel-drive base model and a sportier all-wheel-drive model.

The BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class still dominate the class, but compelling content and good value may encourage customers to give the Acura TL a second look!

KFC is urging customers to buy “pink buckets” to help fight breast cancer. However, you could buy a dozen KFC buckets and it wouldn’t put an extra dime towards breast cancer research, reports The Washington Post. The fine print on KFC’s “buckets for the cure” website speaks for itself:

“KFC restaurant operators have contributed 50 cents to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure for each Komen branded bucket purchased by the operators from April 5, 2010-May 9, 2010….Customer purchases of KFC buckets during the promotion will not directly increase the total contribution.”

Basically, when the KFC franchises buy their official pink buckets from the KFC supplier, they have to pay $.50 extra per bucket and that goes towards Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation. The only way to move the needle is if enough customers buy enough pink buckets so that the store has to order more.

Or, you could make a healthy meal at home and use the money you saved on eating out to make a direct donation to a cancer charity. Use a service like Charity Navigator to make sure you pick a good one.

Is that right? Buying KFC buckets fights breast cancer? [Washington Post]

Filed under: Toys/Games

If you’re a casual die-cast car collector, any mundane shopping trip is an opportunity to grow that pile of toy cars you have taking up space in your house that could probably put to better use. (According to your significant other, at least!) If you have kids, there’s that to contend with, too – any unopened toy car they come across will soon be an opened toy car. After all, how do you explain to doe-eyed Junior that really, Daddy would prefer you don’t open that green Matchbox Porsche 914 that took two months to find at the store?

Now, the standard buck-a-pop Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars are pretty nicely detailed, but those same castings look a lot better when they’re re-decoed and packaged as pricier, step-up subsets sold separately from the regular assortments. Case in point, the Hot Wheels “Speed Machines” cars. These 1:64 scale cars (the same size as regular Hot Wheels) have much more accurate paint and detailing, with better wheels, and yours truly has already succumbed to his inner child on one occasion upon seeing them. Chances are, that won’t be a single-time occurrence, either.

As demonstrated above, upcoming Speed Machines range additions like the Ferrari 599XX stand ready to separate disposable income from pocket in $2 increments. It and the other cars in the gallery below are part of Speed Machines “Mix E,” which should hit stores in mid-May. Keep your eyes peeled. After all, this is the stuff that makes your desk at work look cooler than the next guy’s.

[Source: Mattel]

Hot Wheels “Speed Machines” dial up the detail originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 25 Apr 2010 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Reader Ed says he tried to buy an iPad from Best Buy, only to be told that someone was on the phone buying all of them, and that he could only get one if he bought the “black tie protection
plan” for $129. Ed told them to get lost and instead reported them to Consumerist and Best Buy.

Ed says:

At varying times I was told that they had either 2 or 4 left in stock, I’m not sure which number was correct, I never actually saw one except the display model.

They made clear that they could only sell one per person, which is fine… I only wanted one. The Best Buy employee went and had a used-car-salesman-worthy chat with his manager. Then, suddenly, I was informed that “someone on the phone” was buying ALL of the ones that they had left in stock.

I told them that I wasn’t aware you could arrange for the payment and purchase of items by phone with Best Buy. No response to that.

They then indicated that one of the iPads that was in the process of being purchased by someone on the phone at that VERY moment (who apparently gets to buy more than one?) could be sold to me instead, IF I would buy the black tie protection plan, which I was informed costs $129. On a $499 item that comes with a factory warranty. I was informed that Apple employees frequently come to Best Buy just to they can purchase their Apple items with Black Tie protection plans. They did not name any of these Apple employees, however.

I considered agreeing to buy the plan and then having it removed at the register, or coming back later to get a refund for the plan, but I was on my lunch break and didn’t feel like dealing with Best Buy customer service hell.

Ed cc’d this to Best Buy and to their credit they sprung into action. Ed says he found another iPad at a non-shady Best Buy and considers the matter resolved to his satisfaction.

Here’s Best Buy’s response to Ed:

I am writing in regards to your email below that was directed to the Consumerist; a copy of your correspondence was also sent to [redacted], who referred it to my attention to investigate and respond accordingly.

I’d like to apologize on behalf of Best Buy for the difficulties you encountered regarding this matter, but I appreciate the time you took to voice your concerns to allow us an opportunity to properly address them. Indeed, we value this sort of contact as it provides us with important feedback to make decisions regarding our future direction.

I’m sorry for the disappointment that surfaced from this incident, for the events you describe are both rare and unfortunate and not reflective of the optimal experience we strive to provide our customers. Please note that I’m currently investigating this issue in conjunction with the [redacted] store’s leadership team and will follow up with you again as soon as possible. In the meantime, please let me know if you have additional questions or concerns.

Good thing Ed is out there, keepin’ ’em honest.

Oh, and we snooped around to see if this protection plan is real and according to this chart, it is, and it does cost $129.00. Now excuse us while we mop up the milk that just shot through our nose.

Week of April 19 – to – April 23, 2010

This week, biofuel developer Codexis sold shares as part of its much anticipated Initial Public Offering (IPO). The company sold shares for $13, which was on the low-end of the $13 – to – $15 per share range, raising a total of $78 million. The share sale was the first cleantech IPO since A123 Systems went public late last year, raising more than $57 million.

Codexis plans to use the fresh batch of capital to scale production of its biofuel-making enzymes in a bid to eventually go commercial (and become profitable). So far, the company depends on major shareholder Royal Dutch Shell for a majority of its revenues, which are generated as part of a licensing agreement. With the Shell agreement expiring in 2012, the clock is ticking for Codexis, which says it is confident it will become profitable by eventually supplying its enzymes to the biofuel sector and the biotech industry. Since its inception, the company has banked on its ability to supply these two industries as the key to its long term success.

On Friday afternoon, the Department of Energy announced the closing of a massive $529 million loan guarantee for Fisker Automotive, the developer of the plug-in hybrid sports car. The government money will finance the reopening of the General Motors auto plant in Wilmington, Del. and the hiring of 2,000 workers that are expected to churn out up to 20,000 of the company’s Model S cars each year, starting in 2012.

Earlier this week, we took a look at the S-1 filed by second-generation biofuel developer Amyris, which has developed sugar-based hydrocarbon molecules that can be converted into greener jet fuel, industrial chemicals, or biodiesel.  The regulatory document provided a unique insight on the company and the challenges it faces. Like Codexis, Fisker, and most cleantech startups, Amyris doesn’t make money. It also has not secured any long term sales, nor has it been able, thus far, to produce its biofuel on an industrial scale. Now, what it does have is a cutting edge technology, a growing IP portfolio, and steep capital requirements, which is why, like Codexis and other renewable energy companies, it’s going to the public markets to raise cash.

This week, we also caught up with SolarReserve CEO Kevin Smith. The developer of utility-scale solar thermal power plants, says Smith, will likely wrap up permitting for its $550 million, 100-megawatt Tonopah Solar Energy project in Nevada at the end of the year. The company is talking to project finance banks to raise construction capital and is also planning to apply for 1603 direct cash grant, which typically finances up to 30 percent of a project’s cost.

We also called an executive at the Marlboro, Mass., company to get an update on its China plant. The company is expected to go online with an initial 100 megawatts in production capacity this summer. It cost about $50 million to build the 100 megawatt manufacturing line. Chinese authorities stepped and paid 2/3 of that cost, or about $33 million. The plant, a joint venture with local company Jiawei, is expected to produce 500 megawatts of silicon wafers by 2012. The EverGreen executive says it is talking with Chinese authorities to secure more public money to finance the construction of the rest of the plant.

VC & PE Watch:

Amonix, a Seal Beach, Calif.-based maker of concentrated photovoltaic (CPV) solar power systems, closed a $129.4 million Series B funding led by Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers.

Royal Dutch Shell-backed Codexis sold six million shares priced at $13 as part of its Initial Public Offering (IPO), raising $78 million.

A spokesman confirmed to G.E.R. that billionaire philosopher, George Soros, was still planning to invest $1 billion over the next decade to support clean energy ventures. Soros made the original announcement in October but has yet to announce a first investment.

Jan Van Dokkum, the former president of UTC Power has joined Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Buyers as an operating partner to oversee the VC fund’s growing cleantech portfolio.

Rambling

While cleantech companies are once again attracting investments, they are also losing money and will likely continue to do so for a while. Codexis relies, for 70 percent of its annual revenues, on a licensing agreement with Shell and has about $159 million in accumulated deficits. Amyris’s S-1 shows the company lost $120.4 million over the last three years. Silicon wafer maker, EverGreen Solar, last quarter reported a $21.1 million loss on revenues of $74.5 million. Those are sobering numbers that highlight some of the challenges faced by the sector.  In order to grow margins, companies can either cut costs, possibly by moving to China, or, even more controversial (for some in Washington…), they can convince the government to provide long-term support by extending popular programs like the direct cash grants or the manufacturing cleantech tax credit.

Image: iStockphoto

Greece’s finance minister George Papaconstantinou expects negotiations over the country’s 45 billion euro lifeline from the IMF to be concluded by mid-May. Which is important since Greece has 8.5 billion worth of bonds maturing on May 19th.

Bloomberg:

In a press conference at the International Monetary Fund, Papaconstantinou described as a “red herring” speculation that Greece will be forced to restructure its debt, and he ruled out leaving the euro area. He said the loan package will be “comprehensive” and last for three years.

“A number of people have been betting in certain ways. All I can say is they will lose their shirts,” he said in Washington. “I want to categorically restate that any notion of restructuring is off the table for the Greek government.”

Read more here >

Join the conversation about this story »

Want to save a few bucks next time you visit New York City? Pick up one of these handy keys that can open the entrance to every subway gate and turnstile in the city’s transit system for just $27. Just be ready to be locked away without a key if you get caught, since the all-access passes are illegal.

The New York Daily News tried out one of the keys, which are supposed to be used only by transit workers and police.

The Daily News tried out the key at 15 stations across the city, including Yankee Stadium on the B line in the Bronx, Junction Blvd. on the No. 7 in Queens and 68 St. on the Lexington Ave. line.

It worked every time.

Police said scammers are not only riding around for free, they are furtively selling entry to the subways for less than the $2.25 fare at unstaffed entrances.

According to the Daily News, the keys can be purchased from rogue transit workers. “If you find an area that’s not supervised by the police, you’re in. It’s like a key to the city,” one satisfied customer told the newspaper. The NYPD has arrested 15 suspects this year for using the keys.

Get magic keys that open the gates at 468 subway stations for only $27 [New York Daily News]