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Monday, July 11, 2011

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Renault delays opening of battery facility in France until "early 2014"

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 03:07 PM PDT

Renault delays opening of battery facility in France until "early 2014"


Renault delays opening of battery facility in France until "early 2014"
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Renault, Europe/EU 2011 Renault Twizy - Click above for high-res image gallery At least one part of Renault's grand plug-in vehicle scheme has been delayed. Initially, the automaker was to open the doors to its lithium-ion battery production facility outside of Paris, France in late 2012. Unfortunately, undisclosed issues have forced Renault to delay construction of the factory....

Mini Space Invaders arcade cabinet big on nostalgia, small in size

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 03:07 PM PDT

Mini Space Invaders arcade cabinet big on nostalgia, small in size


Mini Space Invaders arcade cabinet big on nostalgia, small in size
Always wanted an 80's arcade cabinet for your living room, but the square footage in your studio apartment won't cooperate with your gaming plans? Well, a master mini craftsman has created a seven-inch replica of Space Invaders that can fit on your desktop, coffee table, or bedside stand. It was cobbled together using the guts of a Game Boy Advance, some lilliputian controls, and a custom cabinet coated in shrunken decals...

Acer AC700 WiFi goes on sale, is your $350 ticket to the Chromebook club

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 03:07 PM PDT

Acer AC700 WiFi goes on sale, is your $350 ticket to the Chromebook club


Acer AC700 WiFi goes on sale, is your $350 ticket to the Chromebook club
Good niches don't come cheap, but while $350 isn't exactly a steal, Acer's new AC700 will, at the very least, get you into the wonderful cloud-based world of Chrome OS for a good deal less than, say, Samsung's Series 5. Of course, there are certain sacrifices to be made for the sake of affordability, namely the fact that the current version of Acer's entry into the space is WiFi-only -- a...

eGenius sets electric record with 211-mile, 100-plus mph flight

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 02:34 PM PDT

eGenius sets electric record with 211-mile, 100-plus mph flight


eGenius sets electric record with 211-mile, 100-plus mph flight
Filed under: Etc., EV/Plug-in A team from the University of Stuttgart has flown into aviation history by averaging over 100 miles per hour for more than two hours, completing a 211-mile trip powered solely by electricity. The eGenius, essentially a glider with a 60-kilowatt (80.5-horsepower) electric motor, was piloted by project leader Karl Keaser....

Google Talk to use SRI technology for stabilizing video chats, revive Chatroulette

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 02:34 PM PDT

Google Talk to use SRI technology for stabilizing video chats, revive Chatroulette


Google Talk to use SRI technology for stabilizing video chats, revive Chatroulette
Okay, so maybe it's not the only reason that Chatroulette is due for a revival, but it certainly won't hurt matters. SRI Technology has just announced that it'll be providing image stabilization software to take the jiggles from your future Google Talk videocalls. 'Course, you'll need an Android 3.0+ device in order to take advantage, but the general consensus here seems fairly positive....

HP's Stephen DeWitt to lead webOS global business unit, Jon Rubinstein stepping aside

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 02:02 PM PDT

HP's Stephen DeWitt to lead webOS global business unit, Jon Rubinstein stepping aside


HP's Stephen DeWitt to lead webOS global business unit, Jon Rubinstein stepping aside
It's looking like there's a little shuffling happening at HP in the wake of the TouchPad's release -- and its somewhat less than flattering reception. The company has announced that Stephen DeWitt will be taking the lead in HP's webOS global business unit, while Jon Rubinstein will be taking over as Senior Vice President of Global Innovation for HP's Personal Systems Group -- a group DeWitt previously helmed....

iDJ Live gives your iPad two turntables, microphone not included

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 02:02 PM PDT

iDJ Live gives your iPad two turntables, microphone not included


iDJ Live gives your iPad two turntables, microphone not included
Looking to get a more realistic feel from your Djay iOS app? Yeah, we suspected as much, and now Numark's giving you the ability to boost your street cred while spinnin' tracks in the club... or, you know, your mum's living room. The company's new iDJ Live accessory does its darndest to transform your iOS device (iPhone and iPod compatible, despite being obviously tailored for iPad) into a more legit deejay...

Nissan Leaf production to start in Smyrna by late 2012

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 01:31 PM PDT

Nissan Leaf production to start in Smyrna by late 2012


Nissan Leaf production to start in Smyrna by late 2012
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, USA Bill Krueger, head of Nissan's manufacturing and supply chain management, tells Automotive News that the March 11 quake in Japan disrupted construction of the automaker's Nissan Leaf production complex in Smyrna, TN, but says there's no need to worry because his team is working 'round the clock to stick to the automaker's open-by-late-2012 timetable. Says Krueger: We're still targeting to launch on time....

Apple may be looking to add another iPad manufacturer

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 01:31 PM PDT

Apple may be looking to add another iPad manufacturer


Apple may be looking to add another iPad manufacturer
We've heard that the next iteration of the iPad will be thinner, have a Retina Display, and will bring peace to the Middle East. Here's a rumor that's a little more mundane, and much more likely to be accurate though -- Apple may be adding another manufacturer, alongside Foxconn, to produce its tablet....

Sprint text messaging down, subscribers' thumbs left feeling unfulfilled

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 01:31 PM PDT

Sprint text messaging down, subscribers' thumbs left feeling unfulfilled


Sprint text messaging down, subscribers' thumbs left feeling unfulfilled
Having issues sending text messages today from your Sprint-enabled device? You're most certainly not alone. We've received a number of complaints from users indicating they can't TXT, while the company's own @sprintcare Twitter account is firing on all cylinders, tossing out replies like "our network team is aware and are working to get txts back up and running as fast as we can." Until that comes to pass you're stuck in...

She’s 101, the Packard Only 81

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 01:00 PM PDT

She's 101, the Packard Only 81


She's 101, the Packard Only 81
Margaret Dunning still drives and maintains the car herself.

Mitsubishi i dealer demos coming in November, customer deliveries set for early 2012

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 12:30 PM PDT

Mitsubishi i dealer demos coming in November, customer deliveries set for early 2012


Mitsubishi i dealer demos coming in November, customer deliveries set for early 2012
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Mitsubishi, USA 2012 Mitsubishi i - Click above for high-res image gallery There seems to be some confusion regarding the timing of the launch of the 2012 Mitsubishi i. Therefore, we're hoping this post will make sense of Mitsubishi's game plan. Last November, Mitsubishi announced the $27,990 i would launch in fall of 2011....

HP Play music syncing service hits beta, bring your USB cable

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 12:30 PM PDT

HP Play music syncing service hits beta, bring your USB cable


HP Play music syncing service hits beta, bring your USB cable
Hey, wouldn't it be great if you could sync your music collection across your HDD and all your mobile devices? Ahem, we know what you're thinking. Nevertheless, HP clearly feels the need to play a little catch-up. It's starting yet another connected music service, called HP Play, to cater specifically for owners of the TouchPad, Veer, and potentially other webOS devices like the Pre 3....

Comcast Xfinity TV app updated for Honeycomb Android tablets, Gingerbread phones and on iOS

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 12:30 PM PDT

Comcast Xfinity TV app updated for Honeycomb Android tablets, Gingerbread phones and on iOS


Comcast Xfinity TV app updated for Honeycomb Android tablets, Gingerbread phones and on iOS
Comcast's Xfinity TV app made its tablet debut on the iPad last year and now it's finally ready for Android tablets too. The most recent update on the Android market adds a Honeycomb version with remote control and video on-demand browsing seen above (only officially certified for the Xoom, but it should work on others as well) -- but not Play Now streaming, yet -- and also should fix the app...

Google introducing 'zoom to fill screen' option on a 'near-future' version of Honeycomb

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 12:00 PM PDT

Google introducing 'zoom to fill screen' option on a 'near-future' version of Honeycomb


Google introducing 'zoom to fill screen' option on a 'near-future' version of Honeycomb
Having a big, 1280 x 800 10.1-inch screen is just no good if your favorite old Android apps haven't been updated to use it. Ideally all devs would tweak their products to properly light up those pixels, but that's not always possible. So, Google's stepping in, adding another display option on "a near-future release of Honeycomb" that will simply zoom the app to fit the screen....

iOS 5 beta 3 comes out of the oven, brings new fixes and toggles to the table

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 12:00 PM PDT

iOS 5 beta 3 comes out of the oven, brings new fixes and toggles to the table


iOS 5 beta 3 comes out of the oven, brings new fixes and toggles to the table
Ready for a newly refined recipe for the next flavor of iOS? After dropping iOS 5 beta 2 on us on June 24th, Apple has now unleashed beta 3, meaning those with sensitive taste buds (and developer accounts) can start sniffing and sussing out what's changed. Of note seem to be a bevy of toggles controlling location services in detail, while there's also a new switch for voice roaming in settings....

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer says '400 million Windows 7 licenses sold'

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 11:29 AM PDT

Microsoft's Steve Ballmer says '400 million Windows 7 licenses sold'


Microsoft's Steve Ballmer says '400 million Windows 7 licenses sold'
So much for not keeping pace, huh? We heard back in June of last year that Microsoft had blown through 150 million Windows 7 licenses, and just a few months later, it had surpassed 240 million. At this year's Worldwide Partner Conference, head honcho Steve Ballmer took great pleasure in announcing that said figure has now swollen to beyond 400 million in under two years....

NASA's Cassini can hear it when lightning crashes on Saturn

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 11:29 AM PDT

NASA's Cassini can hear it when lightning crashes on Saturn


NASA's Cassini can hear it when lightning crashes on Saturn
Some folks can fall asleep to the calming pitter patter of gentle rain. Yeah, we're not those people. But we could be swayed into a somnolent stupor if those sounds came from epic storms -- on Saturn. Captured by NASA's Cassini probe last March, this 11-second clip of AM radio-like electrostatic is actually the agency's first glimpse into storm activity on the planet's Northern Hemisphere....

Peugeot 508 RXH diesel hybrid to debut at Frankfurt Motor Show

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 10:59 AM PDT

Peugeot 508 RXH diesel hybrid to debut at Frankfurt Motor Show


Peugeot 508 RXH diesel hybrid to debut at Frankfurt Motor Show
Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, Peugeot, Europe/EU Peugeot 508 RXH - Click above for high-res image gallery The Peugeot 508 RXH diesel-electric hybrid has been officially revealed ahead of its world debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Featuring four-wheel drive via Peugeot's HYbrid4 technology, the 508 RXH comes packing the automaker's 2.0-liter HDi diesel engine along with a 28-kilowatt (38-horsepower) electric motor....

HTC Status ships July 17th, currently in a pre-order relationship with AT&T

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 10:59 AM PDT

HTC Status ships July 17th, currently in a pre-order relationship with AT&T


HTC Status ships July 17th, currently in a pre-order relationship with AT&T
Following the usual leak + wait-and-see saga, AT&T has today confirmed that it'll be the exclusive home to one half of HTC's Facebook-infused duo. The so-called Status will be making its way onto Ma Bell's airwaves on July 17th, with eager social networkers able to get their pre-orders in today....

Cisco boosts stadium WiFi, makes MLB slightly more tolerable for the internet-obsessed (video)

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 10:59 AM PDT

Cisco boosts stadium WiFi, makes MLB slightly more tolerable for the internet-obsessed (video)


Cisco boosts stadium WiFi, makes MLB slightly more tolerable for the internet-obsessed (video)
Anyone who's been in a packed stadium or concert venue knows better than to expect to be able to browse the web or even check email, unless of course your device happens to be compatible with a certain underutilized data-only network. A new initiative from Cisco, however, aims to bring connectivity to the over-saturated masses....

Toyota says Prius sales will beat 2010 mark despite shortages

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 10:28 AM PDT

Toyota says Prius sales will beat 2010 mark despite shortages


Toyota says Prius sales will beat 2010 mark despite shortages
Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota, USA Despite quake-related shortages, Toyota remains optimistic that, by year's end, Prius sales in the U.S. will eclipse the mark set in 2010. Prior to the quake, Toyota targeted Prius sales in excess of 181,221 here in the States. After the devastation was examined, Toyota declared that level may be out of reach, but Donald Esmond, Toyota's senior vice-president for U.S....

Android-friendly Samsung CTO abandons ship for Citigroup

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 10:28 AM PDT

Android-friendly Samsung CTO abandons ship for Citigroup


Android-friendly Samsung CTO abandons ship for Citigroup
Android lost a major ally at Samsung Mobile this week, with the departure of Omar Khan. The CTO is leaving the hardware manufacturer for the industry analyst side of things, joining Citigroup's mobile solutions team. Khan has led the charge on a number of Android-based devices, including, recently, the S II and various other products in the Galaxy line -- he also made a memorable appearance on The Engadget Show, back...

iRiver Story HD becomes first Google eBooks-integrated e-reader, won't be the last

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 09:57 AM PDT

iRiver Story HD becomes first Google eBooks-integrated e-reader, won't be the last


iRiver Story HD becomes first Google eBooks-integrated e-reader, won't be the last
We aren't exactly lacking for digital bookstores, but Google's eBooks offering is indeed one of the slickest around. And evidently, it's not in nearly as many places as the marketers in Mountain View would like. The Goog just announced that iRiver's Story HD would soon become the first Google eBooks-integrated e-reader, with the new model going on sale July 17th at Target....

Apple Files Second Complaint Against HTC, Asks To Ban Imports

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 09:57 AM PDT

Apple Files Second Complaint Against HTC, Asks To Ban Imports


Apple Files Second Complaint Against HTC, Asks To Ban Imports
It's been a good year or so since Apple and HTC were originally duking it out in the court room over Android patent infringements. The case has gone rather quiet since its original filing, until today when the ITC posted a new complaint filed by Apple against HTC. This time, the Cupertino-based company hopes to block imports of "personal electronic devices" made by HTC. This isn't the first time we've seen phone...

3G ASUS Eee Pad Transformer spotted online, priced starting at 499 euros

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 09:57 AM PDT

3G ASUS Eee Pad Transformer spotted online, priced starting at 499 euros


3G ASUS Eee Pad Transformer spotted online, priced starting at 499 euros
By this time, hopefully, all of you who were on the hunt for a Transformer finally got your mitts on one. If you were holding out for the 3G version, though, you can stop fidgeting -- it's already been priced in mainland Europe, putting it almost a month ahead of its expected arrival in the UK....

Boston Consulting Group says EVs not necessary to meet 2020 emissions targets

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 09:26 AM PDT

Boston Consulting Group says EVs not necessary to meet 2020 emissions targets


Boston Consulting Group says EVs not necessary to meet 2020 emissions targets
Filed under: MPG, Legislation and Policy, USA Emissions-reduction technologies - Click above for high-res image Internal combustion engines (ICEs) are improving rapidly and their ability to cut CO2 emissions at lower-than-expected costs will continue to make them the auto industry's dominant powertrain technology over the next decade. According to new Boston Consulting Group report entitled, "Powering Autos to 2020: The Era of the Electric Car?," automakers should be able to meet 2020 emissions...

Google+ runs out of disk space, floods inboxes with notification spam

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 09:26 AM PDT

Google+ runs out of disk space, floods inboxes with notification spam


Google+ runs out of disk space, floods inboxes with notification spam
If you're one of the lucky ones who landed themselves a Google+ account, you might have felt a little less fortunate when your inbox was bombarded by repeated notifications. Vic Gundotra, the Goog's social mastermind, took to the fledgling service to apologize and explain what happened. Turns out the servers in charge of tracking notifications ran out of disk space for about 80 minutes -- causing them to repeatedly send and...

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray swings through FCC donning AT&T bands

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 09:26 AM PDT

Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray swings through FCC donning AT&T bands


Sony Ericsson Xperia Ray swings through FCC donning AT&T bands
We've known it as both the Urushi and the ST18a, but Sony Ericsson's latest handset was just "accepted" over at the FCC as the Xperia Ray, getting the fed green-light with a full set of photos to boot. A quick perusal of the docs confirms that the Xperia Ray will bring on quadband HSPA compatible with AT&T and global carriers, but the lack of AWS indicates we won't see this showing...

British researchers design a million-chip neural network 1/100 as complex as your brain

Posted: 11 Jul 2011 08:55 AM PDT

British researchers design a million-chip neural network 1/100 as complex as your brain


British researchers design a million-chip neural network 1/100 as complex as your brain
If you want some idea of the complexity of the human brain, consider this: a group of British universities plans to link as many as a million ARM processors in order to simulate just a small fraction of it. The resulting model, called SpiNNaker (Spiking Neural Network architecture), will represent less than one percent of a human's gray matter, which contains 100 billion neurons....