Category: News

A marca já tinha anunciado que irá nacionalizar a Tucson, em termos o modelo foi nacionalizado, mas nem tanto.

Segundo fontes o modelo é um CKD, ou seja, só são montadas no Brasil, as peças ainda vêem de fora, por isso os consumidores que aguardavam a Tucson nacional para comprar com preço mais em conta, infelizmente ainda não é agora.

A noticia boa é que a Hyundai está tentando fazer a Tucson virar 100% nacional, com peças criadas no Brasil, se isso acontecer os preços com certeza deveram abaixar um pouco.

O modelo fabricado no Brasil será como todas as outras, com mesmo motor e designer. Agora só esperamos que a Hyundai não divulgue uma propaganda dizendo que a Tucson agora é 100% nacional.

Fonte: Autos Segredos

Mad Catz isn’t actually known for being subtle, but this is a bit much even for them. It’s the new Cyborg R.A.T. – and it’s a hot mess of wasteland design gone wrong.

Imagine that the world ended, people live in underground bunkers, but there were some survivors. They’d build stuff out of whatever they could find, combing buttons, switches, and dials into an ungodly mess of function and form. Now imagine someone from this post-apocalyptic future came back and designed a mouse. That’s what the Cyborg R.A.T. makes me think of.

Ultimately though, what matters is if the thing is comfortable. We’ll get one when it comes available and review it for you, and let you know how well it works. Maybe I’m wrong, maybe it’s the best. mouse. evar.

From the press release:

San Diego, January 06, 2010

Mad Catz® Interactive, Inc. (AMEX/TSX: MCZ), a leading worldwide third-party interactive entertainment accessory provider, today unveiled a new range of premium Cyborg gaming mice expected to begin shipping in Spring 2010.

“Cyborg is best known for ergonomic and fully adjustable flight sticks, gaming mice and keyboards. The new mouse range incorporates the same market leading design principles and applies them to gaming mice. For the first time ever on a mouse, the key points of contact between the gamer’s hand and the mouse are fully adjustable allowing it to be customized for any grip preference” commented, Darren Richardson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mad Catz. “The Cyborg mouse range was developed entirely in house and I believe they are the most comfortable gaming mice you’ll ever use. Besides, they just look cool!”

Following-up Darren Richardson said, “The addition of this line of mice bolsters Cyborg’s strong gaming keyboard market presence and is a continuation of our strategy of developing products that evoke a passionate consumer response.”

For a complete feature matrix, see the table at the end of the announcement. The gaming mice expected to ship as part of the range includes:

• Cyborg R.A.T. 7 Gaming Mouse
o Features: Fully Adjustable; 5600dpi laser; Programmable; Weight System; USB powered
o MSRP: $99.99 / £79.99 / €99.99

• Cyborg R.A.T. 9 Gaming Mouse
o Features: Wireless, Fully Adjustable, 5600dpi laser; Programmable,; Weight System; Powered by Rechargeable Batteries
o MSRP: $129.99/ £99.99 / €129.99

• Cyborg R.A.T. 5 Gaming Mouse
o Features: Adjustable Length; 4000dpi laser, Programmable; Weight System; USB powered
o MSRP: $69.99/ £49.99 / €59.99

• Cyborg R.A.T. 3 Gaming Mouse
o Features: 3200dpi laser; USB powered
o MSRP: $49.99 / £34.99 / €49.99

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It’s not looking to be a real revolutionary year for digital cameras. Even Casio, who really wowed us last year with the compact high-speed FC100 and FS10, is phoning it in. Samsung has let a few new ones out of the bag, but they’re not exactly thrillers. Nice, to be sure, but well within the bounds of the expected.

There are two new dual-screen cameras, but I think we all feel the same way about those (soul-destroying apathy) so I’m going to skip them. The lower-end cameras are probably decent, but for their price you can almost certainly get Canons that will take them to school. And the NX10 got announced last week, to say nothing of its presence on the net for some months now. That leaves the luxury ones, which are the funnest to write up anyway.

You’ve got two: the TL240 and CL80. The CL80 is the mega-lux version; it’s got 14.2 megapixels, a 7x zoom, a 3.7″ AMOLED touchscreen, and has both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. That screen is gorgeous, I’m guessing, although there are reports of said screens being bad in bright daylight — and that’s a situation you’ll be in a lot with a camera like this. The built-in wireless connection will be great if the software it uses (if any) isn’t too terrible. Given that it’s not a Sony camera, I think we’ve got hope.

The TL240 is the CL80 minus the wireless and the AMOLED screen; instead, it has a regular 3.5″ screen which I’m sure is just fine. Of course, the both of them have the usual HDMI connectors, 720p video, and smile shutters. I’m not sure I like the “touch of color” that appears when you extend the lens. It might lead to lots of pictures of people peering over the lens at that ring of magenta.

Also, I’d like to extend a wag of the finger to Samsung for, instead of sending 20 medium-sized pictures with various angles and backdrops, giving four pictures (none of the TL24) with the incredible dimensions of 6000×4000 pixels. Really, guys? Which publication asked for those?!

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Altec Lansing announced three new products today – a docking station, a new set of computer speakers, and a set of headphones. While not exactly earth shattering, they do look to be some decent sounding products.

First off, we’ve got yet another iPod dock. It’s small, compact, and folds down into the size of a book for easy transport. Available February 2010, MSRP is $79.95.







Next, the Octane Plus speaker system. It’s a 2.1 set and the latest of Altec Lansing’s offering to computer users. Combining tuned, down-firing 3 inch mid-range and 1 inch micro-drivers with a powerful sub-woofer, the Octane Plus will be available this spring for an MSRP of $79.95




Finally, we have the MUZX DNA headphones. Coming in three different styles themselves, the MUZX line is designed for different users in different designs. The MUZX Mesh is specifically for heavy music listeners that need something for the long term wear. The MUZX XX combines soft colors and smooth lines for the ladies, and the MUZX XY are like wearing rocks in your ears in a manly fashion. Well, maybe not quite that brutal, but they are intended for the “more active users” whatever that means. All of the MUZX line will sell for $19.99, and be available this March.

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Sony introduced a whopping 17 new cameras and camcorders today, in the Handycam and Cyber-Shot lines, and as was hinted, they support SD and microSD cards. Even better, the new TransferJet lets you share photos between cameras, wirelessly.

Only certain Sony cameras will support TransferJet, and even then they have to use another goddamn new Sony proprietary MemoryStick format, the TransferJet Memory Stick card. Those wireless Cyber-Shots will be available starting in February and roll out throughout the year. [PRNewswire]

When excess wrinkles and skin are present around the lower eyelid, the plastic surgeon may choose to use and external incision approach. With this, the incision is made just beneath the lower eyelashes. This is easily camouflaged during the healing process. Through this lower eyelid incision excess muscle and skin, and even fat may be removed. The incision will then be closed with sutures that will be removed about a week after surgery. Bruising and swelling are a little more common with lower blepharoplasty, however the problems will usually resolve within one week. Regular activities may be resumed within one to two weeks.

I really thought that AT&T would bring Android MIDs –– with Dell’s help — to the network, but I was wrong. Instead, AT&T will see no less than five Android voice handsets arrive by the end of June, although the Dell MID I expected is a full-fledged smartphone.

This morning the carrier made the announcement, along with some other updates. Motorola will provide a MOTOBLUR device in 2010, while an exclusive handset from HTC will also appear. Qualcomm’s BREW isn’t dying the slow, painful death I thought it might — it has new life in the “mid-range Quick Messaging Devices” that make up around 30% of handset sales for AT&T. BREW is getting standardized with a new SDK to help developers create apps more efficiently.

Like the T-Mobile news of yesterday, AT&T is plowing along with their own 7.2 Mbps HSPA network upgrades. In fact, the plans have accelerated with on software and backhaul improvement in six cities: Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami. AT&T expects 25 of the top 30 markets to join in by mid-year.

Not mentioned at the press event but related: Lenovo showed us their first smartbook — the SkyLight — and said that they expect the device to be sold with AT&T service. We’ll have a video of this device up shortly.

Filed under: Apple Corporate, Steve Jobs, Apple, iPhone

Remember Alisa, the subway sweetheart whose iPhone was stolen and then re-surfaced in her email inbox when the knucklehead thief tried to get it replaced? Apparently she sent a note to our favorite iCEO Steve Jobs as a last resort when the standard Apple CSRs were unwilling or unable to help. As Metro NY reports, Alisa’s pleas did not fall on deaf ears.

Over the New Year’s weekend, Alisa sent her email, and the day after we reported Alisa’s story, she received a call from Apple’s executive support team. I corresponded with Alisa, and despite the runaround she received, she was told there is in fact an internal procedure for dealing with such situations.

Apple’s Corporate Investigations department is now working with local law enforcement to rectify Alisa’s situation. While it is good to hear that the right people are finally communicating to resolve this matter, it is disappointing that it required the victim emailing a CEO to get any real traction on the problem. And even though Alisa has since purchased a Blackberry, we hope she gets her iPhone back soon.

TUAWApple working with NYC cops to find stolen iPhone originally appeared on The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW) on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Top 20 Best-Selling Vehicles of 2009

We take a look back on the year that was and list the top 20 best selling vehicles of 2009.

First images of Fenix supercar released

Lee Noble’s latest creation is due to arrive later this year, but before its official reveal the 638-hp Fenix supercar gets teased.

GM and OnStar unveil Volt mobile apps, we try them out [w/videos]

The GM OnStar app for Android, iPhone and Blackberry smartphones is out and we take it for a test drive.

Also of interest:

• Senator calls for audit of Cash-for-Clunkers program
• Toyota, Hyundai refute report of discontinued models
• Ken Block dropping trademark Subaru for two Fords
• Details on 2011 BMW “M1″ trickle out
• Aston Martin could build hybrid Lagonda, all-electric Cygnet

Browse our archive of Daily U-Turn posts or subscribe to the RSS feed

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 1.6.10 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Convertible, Performance, Electric, Racing

Westfield, a British company that still builds and sells a version of the timeless Lotus 7, has announced plans to offer a fully electric sportscar called the iRacer that it will race in the EV Cup. As you might expect, the car appears to be as minimalist as possible – sporting a claimed weight of just 1,300 pounds – with little bodywork and four fat tires pushed out to each corner.

Inside and underneath the tubular chassis are 440 pounds of lithium iron phosphate batteries, which Westfield says should be sufficient for 55 miles of range under racing conditions. A pair of Oxford Yasa electric motors drive the rear wheels independently and put out over 730 pound-feet of torque.

Performance figures to be brisk, with the run to 60 mph taking under five seconds with a governed top speed of 110 mph. Click past the break for a press release along with a couple of videos showing the iRacer in action.

[Source: Westfield]

Continue reading Westfield readying lightweight electric iRacer [w/video]

Westfield readying lightweight electric iRacer [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony may have spearheaded Blu-ray, but besides the PS3, other companies have done more to push the format to become a great home-theater product. Today, Sony shows off the BDP-S770, a truly awesome Blu-ray player of its own.

This is not what you’d call a “me too” product—at the moment it has the hottest Blu-ray specs we have seen. Like other top models, it has integrated Wi-Fi, Bravia Internet Video Link (now with Netflix). Like the new crop of flagship players, it will support 3D movies. It even has DLNA support for serving up content across the home network (and maybe even apps like PlayOn, if I’m not mistaken).

But on top of all of that, it will support an iPhone/iPod Touch remote control app, which will be free in the App Store. Crazy, and restores some of my faith in a company that has fallen behind. The only thing we really don’t know is pricing—and we won’t know that until closer to launch this summer. By then, who knows, maybe others will have taken the iPhone-app angle too. For now, Sony can bask in the Blu awesomeness.

As you can expect, Sony has a ton of Blu-ray products coming down the line. I’m gonna let their spec list speak for itself:

BDP-S770 Blu-ray Disc™ Player
Available this summer
• Blu-ray 3D™ Playback
• BRAVIA® Monolithic Design
• Full HD 1080p single-disc Blu-ray disc™, DVD, SA-CD, CD player
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• IP Content Noise Reduction
• Built-in Wi-Fi® Wireless (802.11) with Wi-Fi® Protected Setup (WAP)
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• DVD upscaling to 1080p with Precision Cinema HD Upscaling
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA®

BDP-S570 Blu-ray Disc™ Player
Available this spring
• BRAVIA® Monolithic Design
• Full HD 1080p single-disc Blu-ray disc™, DVD, SA-CD, CD player
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• IP Content Noise Reduction
• Built-in Wi-Fi® Wireless (802.11) with Wi-Fi® Protected Setup (WAP)
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• DVD upscaling to 1080p with Precision Cinema HD Upscaling
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding

BDP-S370 Blu-ray Disc™ Player
Available this spring
• BRAVIA® Monolithic Design
• Full HD 1080p single-disc Blu-ray disc™, DVD, SA-CD, CD player
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• Wi-Fi® Ready (USB wireless LAN adapter sold separately)
• DVD upscaling to 1080p with Precision Cinema HD Upscaling
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA®
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding

And they’ve also got Blu-ray home theater systems:

BDV-HZ970W Blu-ray Disc™ Home Theater System
Available this summer
• Blu-ray 3D™ Playback
• BRAVIA® Monolithic Design
• 1000W Full HD 1080p Blu-ray disc™, DVD, CD, SA-CD 5.1 channel home theater system
• Integrated S-AIR® wireless rear speakers
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• Wi-Fi® Ready with included USB Wireless LAN adapter (802.11)
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA®
• iPod® audio playback via USB
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding

BDV-E770W Blu-ray Disc™ Home Theater System
Available this spring
• BRAVIA® Monolithic Design
• 1000W Full HD 1080p Blu-ray disc™, DVD, CD, SA-CD 5.1 channel home theater system
• Integrated S-AIR® Wireless Rear Speaker
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• Wi-Fi® Ready with included USB Wireless LAN adapter (802.11)
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA®
• iPod® audio playback via USB
• DVD upscaling to 1080p with Precision Cinema HD Upscaling
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding

BDV-E570 Blu-ray Disc™ Home Theater System
Available this spring
• Monolithic Design
• 1000W Full HD 1080p Blu-ray disc™, DVD, CD, SA-CD 5.1 channel home theater system
• S-AIR® ready for wireless rear and wireless multi-room speakers (sold separately)
• BRAVIA® Internet Video and BD-LIVE™
• Entertainment Database Browser with Gracenote technology
• Wi-Fi® Ready with included USB Wireless LAN adapter (802.11)
• BD Remote (iPhone®/iPod touch® remote control – free app.)
• Photo/Music/Video Playback via USB and DLNA®
• iPod® audio playback via USB
• DVD upscaling to 1080p with Precision Cinema HD Upscaling
• Dolby® TrueHD and dts-HD Master Audio™ decoding

Sony’s launching thirty-eight TVs. The best, the XBR-LX900, is a 3D-ready edge-lit LED set that goes up to 60 inches with 240Hz, Wi-Fi (for video services like Netflix), face detection (for auto-backlight dimming) and an anti-reflective panel. And Three-Dee.

I’d personally go with the XBR-HX900, which is 3D like the LX900, but it’s got LED backlighting with local dimming. It’s just smaller, only going up to 52 inches. The new “Monolithic” design language looks like classic Sony, but hey, it’s really nice. They’re available for pre-order tonight on Sony Style.

Stepping down further, past the warm comfort of XBR, 3D continues in the HX800, but you lose perks like built-in Wi-Fi. Or with the NX800, you can trade in 3D for Wi-Fi, and going further, 240Hz gives way to 120Hz, on down the line.

BRAVIA XBR-LX900 Series 3D HDTV
Available this summer, the BRAVIA XBR-LX900 series features integrated 3D functionality and screen sizes including 60 (XBR-60LX900), 52 (XBR-52LX900), 46 (XBR-46LX900), and 40-inch (XBR-40LX900).
The full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) models feature Edge LED backlight, Sony’s new Monolithic Design and Motionflow™ PRO 240Hz motion compensation technology, which helps produces smooth images in fast moving content such as sport and action movies. Sony’s 240Hz technology also reduces the mixing of images of 3D content assigned to the left and right eyes, while the BRAVIA Engine™ 3 full digital video processor uses a collection of enhanced algorithms to significantly reduce noise, enhance overall image detail, and optimize contrast so every scene produces sharp, vibrant, life-like images.
The LX900 models also feature Sony’s new OptiContrast panel. Designed with a clear surface treatment and a resin sheet sandwiched between the LCD display panel and glass plate, the OptiContrast panel minimizes the reflection and refraction of external and internal light producing deeper images with superior black levels even in bright rooms.

The models include integrated Wi-Fi for an easy connection to broadband home networks.  Once connected, users can access thousands of streaming movies, videos, music and more from Netflix, Amazon Video on Demand, YouTube™, Slacker® Internet Radio, Pandora®, NPR, Sony Pictures, Sony Music, and over 25 total providers through the Sony BRAVIA Internet Video platform.
Also, with the touch of a button, users can access the latest in news, weather, USA Today sports, Yahoo Finance, Twitter, Flickr photos, and FrameChannel through small applications called BRAVIA Internet Widgets.  The widgets can be uniquely positioned anywhere on the TV screen for a custom viewing experience.

The models also feature playback of personal content including digital pictures, video, and music through USB and DLNA® certified network connections.
Another new feature is Sony’s Intelligent Presence Sensor with face detection. The sensor detects if you’ve stepped away from the TV or are not watching the screen and automatically dims the backlight. After an extended period, the TV will turn off if no one has re-entered the viewing area. Additionally, the Intelligent Presence Sensor’s newly added Position Control feature detects a user’s viewing position to deliver optimized video/sound balance, while the Distance Alert feature helps to keep small children at an eye-friendly distance.

The models also offer Sony’s BRAVIA Sync™ for easy operation with other BRAVIA Sync devices such as AV receivers and Blu-ray Disc™ players, and TVGuide® on-screen channel guide.

BRAVIA XBR-HX900 Series 3D Ready HDTV
The XBR-HX900 series 3D ready (with the addition of Sony active shutter glasses and transmitter, both sold separately) full HD (1920 x 1080p) models feature Intelligent Dynamic LED backlight and Sony’s new Monolithic Design.
The model’s full-array LED backlighting improves contrast and dynamic range by local dimming that controls the LED backlight level by area so that detail is maintained in the dark areas, while other areas are driven near peak brightness. The technology reduces unnecessary light emission resulting in true and deep blacks compared to conventional LED backlit models.
The models also feature Sony’s new ambient sensor that automatically optimizes the TV’s color and brightness according to the room environment and lighting conditions for optimized settings.
Featuring screen sizes including 52 (XBR-52HX900) and 46-inches (XBR-46HX900), the model offers four HDMI 1.4 inputs, one component input, one composite input, one component/composite selectable inputs, and a PC input (HD15) with PC/TV picture-in-picture.
The models also feature:
Monolithic Design
Motionflow PRO 240Hz motion compensation technology
OptiContrast panel
USB Wireless-LAN adapter for easy wireless network connection (sold separately)
BRAVIA Internet Video and BRAVIA Internet Widgets
BRAVIA Engine 3 with Intelligent Image Enhancer
USB and DLNA photo/music/video playback

BRAVIA KDL-HX800 Series 3D Ready HDTV
Also 3D ready (with the addition of Sony active shutter glasses and transmitter, sold separately), the BRAVIA KDL-HX800 series will be available this summer in screen sizes including 55-inch class (54.6-inches measured diagonally) (KDL-55HX800), 46 (KDL-46HX800) and 40-inch (KDL-40HX800).
The full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) models utilize a Dynamic Edge LED backlight with local dimming for improved contrast and dynamic range.
Other features include:
Motionflow PRO 240Hz Technology for Smooth Motion
Ambient sensor
USB Wireless-LAN adapter for easy wireless network connection (sold separately)
BRAVIA Internet Video and BRAVIA Internet Widgets
BRAVIA Engine 3
USB and DLNA photo/music/video playback

Sony also introduced several other new BRAVIA models with various features and screen sizes. They include:
BRAVIA KDL-NX800 series
Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) Edge LED backlit LCD
Monolithic Design
Motionflow 240Hz Technology for Smooth Motion
Integrated Wi-Fi wireless network capabilities (802.11)
BRAVIA Internet Video and BRAVIA Internet Widgets
BRAVIA Engine 3
USB and DLNA photo/music/video playback
Available in March
Screen sizes include 60 (KDL-60NX800: $4,000), 52 (KDL-52NX800: $3,400) and 46-inch (KDL-46NX800: $2,800)

BRAVIA KDL-NX700 Series
Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) Edge LED backlit LCD
Monolithic Design
Motionflow 120Hz Technology for Smooth Motion
Integrated Wi-Fi wireless network capabilities (802.11N)
BRAVIA Internet Video and BRAVIA Internet Widgets
BRAVIA Engine 3
USB and DLNA photo/music/video playback
Available in March
Screen sizes include 46 (KDL-46NX700: $2,600) and 40-inch (KDL-40NX700: $2,100)

BRAVIA KDL-EX700 Series
Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) Edge LED backlit LCD
Presence Sensor, Ambient sensor
Motionflow 120Hz Technology for Smooth Motion
BRAVIA Internet Video and BRAVIA Internet Widgets
BRAVIA Engine 3
USB and DLNA photo/music/video playback
Available in March
Screen sizes include 60 (KDL-60EX700: $3,900), 52 (KDL-52EX700: $2,800), 46 (KDL-46EX700: $2,200), 40-inch (KDL-40EX700: $1,700), and 32-inch class (31.5-inches measure diagonally) (KDL-32EX700: $1,100)

BRAVIA KDL-EX600 Series
Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) Edge LED backlit LCD
Ambient sensor
BRAVIA Engine 2
BRAVIA Sync
USB photo/music/video playback
Available in March
Screen sizes include 46 (KDL-46EX600: $1,900), 40 (KDL-40EX600: $1,400) and 32-inch class (31.5-inches measure diagonally) (KDL-32EX600: $800)

BRAVIA KDL-EX500 Series
Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) CCFL backlit LCD
Motionflow 120Hz Technology for Smooth Motion
Ambient sensor
BRAVIA Engine 2
BRAVIA Sync
USB photo/music/video playback
Available in February
Screen sizes include 60 (KDL-60EX500: $3,300), 55-inch class (54.6-inches measured diagonally) (KDL-55EX500: $2,400), 46 (KDL-46EX500: $1,600), 40 (KDL-40EX500: $1,100), and 32-inch class (31.5-inches measure diagonally) (KDL-32EX500: $800)

BRAVIA KDL-EX40B Series
Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) CCFL backlit LCD
Integrated Blu-ray Disc player
BRAVIA Internet Video and BRAVIA Internet Widgets
BRAVIA Engine 3
Ambient sensor
Ethernet input
USB and DLNA photo/music/video playback
Available in May
Screen sizes include 40 (KDL-40EX40B: $1,000) and 32-inch class (31.5-inches measure diagonally) (KDL-32EX40B: $800)

BRAVIA KDL-EX400 Series
Full HD 1080p (1920 x 1080) CCFL backlit LCD
Ambient sensor
BRAVIA Engine 2
BRAVIA Sync
USB photo/music/video playback
Available in February
Screen sizes include 46 (KDL-46EX400: $1,200), 40 (KDL-40EX400: $800), and 32-inch class (31.5-inches measure diagonally) (KDL-32EX400: $600)

BRAVIA KDL-EX308 Series
720p (1366 x 768) CCFL backlit LCD
Wi-Fi with USB adapter (included)
BRAVIA Internet Video and BRAVIA Internet Widgets
BRAVIA Engine 3
BRAVIA Sync
USB and DLNA photo/music/video playback
Available in March
Screen sizes include 32-inch class (31.5-inches measure diagonally) (KDL-32EX308: $530) and 22-inch class (21.6 inches measured diagonally) (KDL-22EX308: $380)

BRAVIA KDL-BX300 Series
720p (1366 x 768) CCFL backlit LCD
BRAVIA Engine 2
BRAVIA Sync
Available in March
Screen sizes include 32-inch class (31.5-inches measure diagonally) (KDL-32BX300: $500) and 22-inch class (21.6 inches measured diagonally) (KDL-22BX300: $350)

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini

Let’s make one thing very clear from the onset. The images you see above are not official shots of the Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Super Veloce. They’re renderings. Good renderings, mind you, but nothing more than photoshopped speculation. So with that out of the way…

It’s been assumed for months that Lamborghini would unveil a final special edition Gallardo at the Geneva Motor Show this March. If the most recent reports are to be believed, the V10 will be tweaked and tuned to put out 570 horsepower through all four wheels – just as it’s LP570-4 designation would imply. However, there’s still no word on whether the Super Veloce moniker will be applied and what kind of weight savings will be exacted. If it’s anything like the Murciélago LP670-4 SV, expect the curb weight to drop by around 200 pounds and the 0-60 time to speed by in under 3.5 seconds. And if the folks in Sant’Agata really want to bring the noise, the Gallardo SV will drop the “-4″ and go rear-wheel drive like its Valentino Balboni sibling.

[Source: Lambocars via Insideline]

Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Super Veloce rendered ahead of Geneva debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 18:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Several companies, appliance maker Whirlpool and energy retailer Direct Energy among them, have joined forces to showcase what the energy efficient home of the future will look like — using enough electronics to make it truly worthy of the Consumer Electronics show where it is debuting in Las Vegas.

The demonstration system in question, called the Home Energy Manager (HEM), will include appliances that tap into a unified network to communicate how much energy they are using, when, why and how much it is costing. This type of data transmission is what will eventually make it possible for your clothing dryer to know to turn on after your refrigerator has stopped making ice. The goal is to use the lowest amount of energy possible between them, saving their owners a substantial amount off their monthly electric bills.

The home will also exhibit a two-way thermostat made by Lennox International, which allows consumers to adjust the temperature, while also automatically regulating it to maintain their comfort while also saving energy. These thermostats are also the variety that will eventually be controlled by consumers remotely via their smartphones, browsers, television screens, etc.

The cherry on the top is the touch-screen home energy dashboard provided by home monitoring company OpenPeak — a partner of major smart meter maker Itron. With a pretty, iPhone-like interface (see above), the dashboard allows residents to program their appliances to run at certain times, to change home temperatures, and to view all the requisite data on their energy consumption.

This is a big opportunity to break out for OpenPeak, which has been stuck in the middle of an ever-growing pack of home energy management companies that includes Tendril, Control4, EnergyHub, People Power, OPOWER, and more. In addition to displaying energy use in real-time, the company’s dashboard will also act as the epicenter for home wireless networks.

The combination of Whirlpool appliances, Lennox thermostats and OpenPeak dashboards is a cocktail that Direct Energy plans to try for a year in 40 homes in Houston — where it is already actively installing residential smart meters. Tapping Best Buy’s Geek Squad for all the networking installation, the utility wants to collect enough data from the pilot project to make very specific recommendations for consumers to slash their day-to-day energy use.

Most of the changes Direct Energy hopes to encourage wouldn’t impact consumers’ regular lives at all. In the past, the most successful energy management technology has not required any attention at all — it’s simply saved while maintaining a consistent level of comfort. This is the idea behind companies like EcoFactor, maker of a two-way thermostat system that keeps homes at an ideal temperature while also conserving energy and money — users don’t have to change their routines or behavior.

The CES demo system is one of the most elaborate home energy ecosystems seen to date. It could provide a valuable example and much-needed nudge to companies like Tendril, General Electric and other major utilities to start offering the same.

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Electronics maker Samsung announced today that it’s getting into the application store game — but it’s thinking beyond the smartphone app stores that seem so hot right now. Instead, the company says you should be able to download an app that works across your phone, your television, and your Blu-Ray player.

The idea, said Samsung Consumer Electronics President Tim Baxter at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, is to create “more opportunities for [innovative] devices to work together through connectivity.”

So instead of searching for apps on your phone, you could scroll through Samsung Apps on your TV using your remote control, then choose a Twitter app, download it, and send a tweet from your television. Later on, you can access the same app from your Samsung phone. Or you could start watching an online streaming movie via Netflix on your TV, then pick up watching wherever you left off on your phone. Or you could leave your remote control out of the equation, and use your phone as your TV control.

Now, most of the announced launch apps — Netflix, Blockbuster, and Picasa — involve videos or photos, and I’m hard-pressed to think of many other apps I’d want to use on my TV. On the other hand, with moves like Microsoft adding Facebook to Xbox Live, this could be where things are going. Samsung says it has 25 percent of the cell phone market and 80 percent of the emerging LED TV market, so developers would have access to a big audience.

Samsung didn’t offer too many details about Samsung Apps, except to say it would start out with “dozens” of apps, and that it will be “open,” making it easy for developers to get their apps into the store. The company plans to launch the store in the spring, then add premium apps this summer.

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Chipset maker Qualcomm is this week’s big winner. Not only will the HTC Nexus One “Googlephone” run on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chip, but Apple has chosen a different Qualcomm chipset to power its next generation of iPhones.

TheStreet.com broke the story, attributing the news to Northeast Securities analyst Ashok Kumar.

Earlier today, Kumar confirmed the long-running rumor that Apple had ditched Intel in favor of chips from Apple-owned P.A. Semi for its upcoming tablet computer.

Who loses? Infineon, which had been Apple’s iPhone CPU supplier since the phone’s debut. Some industry pundits had blamed Infineon’s chips for the shockingly disappointing performance of iPhones on AT&T’s network.

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Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Ferrari, Rumormill

Few words have greater impact when mashed together than “Ferrari” and “GTO.” While there are rivals at times, the most expensive car in the word for the last three decades has been the original, Daytona Coupe battling, Le Mans winning Ferrari 250 GTO. Designed by Giotto Bizzarrini and raced into history by Phil Hill, few cars wear the moniker “legendary” quite as well. After all, only 39 were ever made.

But, like Leah, there is another. The mighty Ferrari 288 GTO. Developed — like Porsche’s 959 and 961 — for Group B action, few if any cars set our hearts so totally on fire. Know nothings might scoff at the 2.85-liter displacement, but those of us in the know will point to the two turbochargers, two intercoolers and 400 stampeding horses. We might even tell them that if they turned the boost pressure up from 11.6 psi to something a bit higher, 600 hp is well within reach. However, the 288 GTO isn’t, as just 272 examples (though some say 273) were made. Compare that to the 1,315 Ferrari F40s that were built. A car we should point out, that’s basically a 288 GTO with a body kit.

Now there might be three. EVO is reporting that Ferrari is about to let loose a new GTO upon the world in the form of a 700 horsepower monster called the 599 GTO. Obviously, it’s an evolution of the street 599, and in fact EVO’s claiming it’s the racetrack only 599XX for the street. During a recent interview, Ferrari CEO Amedeo Felisa told the Brit mag that when the 458 Italia debuted, the 599 was internally reassigned to the “Sports Car” division, instead of where it used to reside, as a “GT.”

More interestingly, should it come to fruition, the 599 GTO will have specs to make Enzo owners smack their own foreheads. 700 hp will come from the raising the 6.0-liter V12’s redline to a stunning 9,000 rpm. A faster transmission should shave gear change times down from 100 milliseconds to an essentially F1 quick 60 milliseconds. And it will be light. Everything should add up to a 3.2 second dash to 60 mph and an Enzo-matching top speed of 217 mph. Though if the 599 GTO went a little bit faster than that, we wouldn’t be all that surprised. Tip of the Ferrari branded $50 Kimi Räikkönen baseball cap (no, really) to Kevin!

[Source: EVO]

Rumormill: Ferrari 599 GTO? EVO says 700-hp bruiser is on the way originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jan 2010 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sony just announced that they’re going to focus on live music performances in 3D. They started out with a clip of Hendrix at Woodstock (awesome) and now they’re bringing out the adorable glitter explosion that is Taylor Swift.

They’re going to film them live and convert to 3D, to be broadcast on TV. Right now, Taylor Swift is performing live (just for us! Sparkly guitar and all!) and behind her, they’re showing the performance coded in 3D. It’s pretty f-in’ cool.

Have you ever thought of having a “take anywhere” computer that can project your content to your table? well this is for you. The new company just today released some information on their new system that is to be called Light Touch™, and it is something cool in a small case. The new system turns any flat surface into a 10” touch screen, which then you can use to connect with your device with the included connectivity. The unit has WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity enabling device to device communication and applications that connect directly to the internet such as social networking, multimedia sharing and electronic point of sale .

Light Touch™ adds LBO’s proprietary holographic laser projection technology (HLP™), creating bright, high-quality WVGA resolution video images that are always in focus. HLP can also correct for distortion and optical aberrations in software, enabling novel table-top projection. Light Touch™ includes an infra-red touch sensing system that transforms the projected image into a touch surface.

The device ships with 2GB of onboard Flash memory and has a Micro SD card slot that supports up to 32GB extra for all the things you want to use and use. The video shows the system at work and it really is amazing how much power this small thing has. This technology could one day be part of our mobile phones, but for now we just have to watch and enjoy.

For the last few months, we’ve been seeing more and more stories about Google’s communication problems with users. This has always been something of an issue with Google — which seems to prefer algorithms to humans whenever possible — but we’re seeing it so often, that I’m really beginning to wonder if this is a serious problem (or potential Achilles heel) for the company. It seems like Google could take some serious lessons from a company like Zappos that treats everyone like a human and goes to amazing lengths to resolve any problems. Instead, too often dealing with Google feels like tossing a request into a giant shiny white box where you may or may not ever hear back — and, if you do hear back, it’s unlikely to be particularly helpful.

For example, we’ve already talked about the problems many suddenly banned advertisers have had in getting any kind of explanation from Google (let alone any recourse). On top of that, there was the situation with users being locked out of their Google docs, with little communication from Google available. This is really potentially quite damaging. It gives the impression of a giant white wall between users and the company in an age where having some sort of human connection to a company is increasingly important. I recognize that Google has it in their DNA to be afraid of people gaming the system, but in shutting itself off from the world, it may be creating more problems for itself.

The latest example is instructive. Jack Yan alerts us to his own writeup of the struggle he’s gone through to try to get Google to reinstate a blog it incorrectly deleted back in July. You can read the forum exchange that began in November (after many months of going through the regular official channels and being told to “wait 2 days” over and over again with nothing coming of it). Jack summarizes the forum exchange this way, with Google’s explanation first, and his response in parentheses:

1. You probably didn’t follow the suggestions. (Yes, I did.)
2. You didn’t do it at the right time. (Yes, I did.)
3. Wait two days. (Waited, nothing happened.)
4. Wait till this afternoon. (Waited, nothing happened.)
5. There’s no cache of it. (Yes, there is.)
6. You’re not the owner of the site. (Owner steps in and says I am allowed to follow this up for him.)
7. There’s no cache of it. (Yes, there is.)
8. I’ll ignore the main link you give and focus on a second one that is less useful. (Look at the first one then.)
9. There’s no cache of it. (Yes, there is.)
10. There’s no cache of it. (Yes, there is.)
11. Your search term is not relevant to this. (But it shows you a cache of it.)

The exchange is incredibly frustrating to read, and I’m amazed that Jack remained as calm as he did through it all. In fact, he notes that Google itself had a cache of the site for a long time — including when he kept submitting for reinstatement and getting told to wait two days. But now Google’s own cache is gone, so he’s pointing the Google folks to Yahoo’s cache to prove the blog is not a spam blog. And Google’s response appears to be nitpicking over the search term, rather than the cache itself, or looking for ways to get the blog back. I know plenty of folks who work at Google and care deeply about their products and how they’re perceived, but I’m amazed at how badly the company seems to handle basic customer service issues like this one.

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