Automotive X Prize Finalists (PHOTOS): 9 Cars That Could Change The World

They're aerodynamic, they're snappy, and, best of all, they're efficient.

The Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize has announced the finalists in its competition to develop a new breed of energy efficient vehicles.

Just 9 cars (down from 136) remain in the competition, which aims to "inspire a new generation of super fuel efficient vehicles." The cars, which go through a grueling series of tests and technical inspections to determine their road-worthiness, must be able to handle real-world scenarios. "It is about developing real, production-capable cars that consumers will want to buy, not science projects or concept cars," the X Prize Foundation explains.

Check out the finalists in the slideshow below, then vote for your favorite on the X Prize website.

The two-seater vehicle, designed by X-Tracer, has a slick aerodynamic design. The car weighs about 1350 pounds, runs on an electric battery, and should cost around $100,000.

Stats:
- Best mpg to Date: 350 mpge (miles per gallon equivalent) at constant 62 mph
- Acceleration (0–60 mph): < style="list-style-type: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-style: none;">- Top Speed: 155 mph regulated, but 180 mph unrestricted

NYSE:BP – BP Loses $17 Billion, Robert Dudley New CEO

BP has been through a lot lately.

Filling the Gulf of Mexico with millions of barrels of oil for one.

Then CEO Tony Hayward resigned over pressure from the way he handled (or didn’t handle) the oil spill.

Finally, BP just announced that so far, the company has lost $17 billion dollars because of the oil disaster in the gulf.

That’s a lot.

BP names Robert Dudley the new CEO of BP.

Dudley is an American. The first non-British CEO in BP’s history.

Dudley will take his new post at BP at the beginning of October.

However, in the pre market, BP is up +0.25 (0.65%).

BP shares (NYSE:BP) closed yesterday at +1.79 (4.86%) at 38.65.

Apple Store (Online) Down, Newness Is Coming

The Apple Store website is down!

This is quite possibly the only website in history that when it goes down, millions of people get excited.

That’s because when the Apple Store website goes down, it means new goodies are on their way.

The rumored “newness” this time however isn’t going to be a new iPhone, or even a new iPad.

According to Engadget, Apple’s got a new lineup of Mac Pros and some updated iMacs to show you.

As is typical for Apple, we can expect the Apple Store to be back up around 8:30′ish, in standard Apple fashion.

Android Smartphone Market Explodes in UK, Up 350%

The British love their smartphones!

In fact, they love their smartphones so much that the marketshare of mobile phones in the UK has expanded to 73.5% of the UK contract market.

That’s up from 55% in the first quarter of this year, and 66.7%, the second quarter average.

Android explodes in the UK

Those numbers are nothing when you look at the Android smartphone growth in the UK.

Android smartphones have grown at a blazing 350% from Q1 to Q2 of this year.

The Android marketshare in the UK sits at 13.2% in Q2, up from only 3% in Q1.

So that’s 350% growth rate in just one quarter!

And with all of the new Android smartphones, coupled with the new iPhones hitting the UK market, you’re talking about unprecedented future growth for the mobile market in the UK!

Yahoo Marries Google in Japan

Hold onto your mouse, and make sure your keyboard is stable!

Yahoo announced today that it will use Google technology to power its Yahoo Japan search engine and ad delivery system.

This was attempted before in the US until the government squashed Yahoo’s efforts because of fears over a search monopoly.

But regulators in Japan do not share the same fear factor.

According to HuffPost, the decision by Yahoo Japan, which is largely independent from its California namesake, will mean that the bulk of Internet searches done in Japan will use Google’s search engine, though both companies said enough independence would be maintained to keep the market competitive.

Yahoo is making every effort to find a way to recover in the hyper competitive search market.

I guess Yahoo’s perspective is, if you can’t beat em’, then join em’!

Actually, this is probably a smart move by Yahoo because of their new commitment to focusing on high quality news and content delivery – which Yahoo excels at doing.

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) shares are up +3.51 (0.72%) at 491.81 on the news of the Yahoo Japan deal.

AT&T’s Dell Streak On Sale Tomorrow?

Ready for a 5 inch touch screen mobile phone!

The widely discussed Dell Streak is going to be available for purchase tomorrow on the Dell website.

Signups for pre-orders have stopped, but you can move right on up to purchasing the Dell Streak tomorrow.

The Dell Streak is a combination between a tablet (think the iPad), and an Android OS powered phone (think HTC EVO 4G). This phone is massive with a 5 inch touch display screen and like I mentioned, powered by the Android mobile OS.

Here’s what the Dell website was showing earlier today:

Our Dell Streak pre-sale sign-up opportunity is no longer available. Please visit www.dell.com/streak tomorrow to purchase your Dell Streak.

However, if you visit the Dell site now that message is no longer there.

Is it possible they were just testing their message?

Or can we really expect to see the Dell Streak available tomorrow?

The Dell Streak will be serviced by AT&T.

Chevy Volt Release Date, Price Announced

The Chevy Volt is ready to hit the streets!

GM announced today that the Chevy Volt, the industries first commercially marketed electric vehicle, is ready to hit GM lots later this year and will carry a sticker price of $41,000.

But don’t let that price tag scare you off too fast.

Even though there’s a $41,000 price tag, factor in the federal income tax credit (which ranges from $0 – $7500), and you are now looking at a net price of $33,500 – a much more doable price range indeed.

But the pricing gets even sweeter if you are willing to lease.

The leasing terms will be 36-months at MSRP with payments as low as $350 per month with $2,500 due at lease signing including security deposit.

The Chevy Volt’s main competitor is the the Nissan Leaf. And after all is said done with the Leaf’s price tag you are looking at around $20,000 (after subsidies that is).

Chevy Volt release date

A solid date has not been announced other than the Chevy Volt (as well as the Nissan Leaf) will be available later this year (2010).

Nissan Leaf, Coming To Enterprise Soon

Wanna try out an electric car before you buy?

Well you might just get the chance with the new Nissan Leaf.

You may have heard by now that the Chevy Volt has been announced by GM and will be the first commercially marketed electric car and is set to arrive by the end of this year.

Well the Nissan Leaf is also scheduled to arrive by the end of the year.

Enterprise to rent the Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf is rumored to be heading to an Enterprise rental location in the following cities: Phoenix; Tucson; Knoxville, Tenn.; Nashville; San Diego; Los Angeles; Portland, Ore.; and Seattle, and Enterprise will start renting Nissan Leaf electrics beginning in January, according to USAToday.

The cool thing about the Nissan Leaf coming to Enterprise is that you’d technically be able to rent the car and try it out prior to you making a decision as to whether or not you want to buy and electric car.

The electric car is a new concept, so being able to test it out first might have its advantages.

What do you think?

Madden 11 Demo on PS3, XBOX

Reports are moving fast on the Madden 11 demo.

People are reporting they are currently updating their PS3 and then moving on to downloading the Madden 11 demo.

Also, XBOX players are reporting that they already have the demo of Madden 11 and are playing live on their consoles.

Whatever the case may be, there is no question about it – the Madden 11 demo has hit the video game scene.

According to other reports, the demo has an adjustable difficulty level, and features the ability to use both teams’ playbooks to build a GamePlan for the new “GameFlow” play-calling system.

If you can’t find the demo on the Xbox Marketplace, that may be because you need anXbox LIVE Gold subscription to access it. The game is scheduled to be released in August 10^th in USA, for Europe, release date is august 13.

Here’s the Madden 11 demo:

RIP T-Mobile’s Android G1 Phone

Google Android phones have come a long way!

It seems like Android has been on the market forever competing with big mobile brands like the iPhone.

Google first Android phone was the G1 which showed at T-Mobile on October 22nd, 2008 (someone check my dates…).

And here we are nearly 2 years later and T-Mobile has finally retired the good ol’ boy. The G1 can no longer be found on the T-Mobile website nor in the T-Mobile stores.

You’ll more than likely need to hit up Ebay to find yourself a G1 from now on.

The QWERTY slider was unveiled in October 2008 as the flagship for Android and had many of the same platform features as later Android phones like the Hero. Its age primarily became apparent this year when some apps and Android versions would no longer run on its limited memory and processor.

As of today, the oldest surviving Android phone on T-Mobile and in most places is the myTouch 3G, which arrived in the spring of last year.

We are now looking at Android 2.2 coming to some of the highest end data phones in the history of the industry. Phones like Droid, Droid X, and the HTC Incredible will all be getting Android 2.2 shortly.

K-Mart Launches $149 Android Tablet (iPad Killer?)

Ok, so maybe not an iPad killer.

But I have to admit that this type of tablet is going to certain cut into the iPad market share!

K-Mart just released a $149, 7″ Android powered tablet called the Augen GenTouch 78

What do you get for the $149 ($149.99 to be exact):

The Augen GenTouch 78 7″ tablet is now available for $149.99 with the following features:

• 800×480 color TFT touch panel screen
• CPU: 800 Mhz
• RAM: DDR2 256mb
• Internal Memory: 2GB
• OS: Android 2.1
• Expansion Slots: SD/MMC card slot up to 16GB
• Wi-Fi Connectivity with full web browsing capability
• Supports Ebook Formats: Text, PDF, E-PUB, HTML
• Supports Media Formats: MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC
• Picture Viewer in JPEG, BMP
• Video Player
• Rechargeable Lithium Battery
• Leather carrying case, USB cable, and AC adapter included

That’s right, you’ll get a free leather carrying case for your tablet as well. All for the price of $149.99.

And I suppose you could also pick up a 3G data package from Verizon as well for another $30 a month.

All in all, the Augen Android tablet at K-Mart is something that will certain fly off the shelves.

You can save about $350 by buying the Augen from K-Mart instead of the iPad.

That’s a 350 reasons that a lot people might like!

Amazing from any angle.

With its sleek aluminum design, a removable bottom panel for easy access to memory, and a space-saving built-in power supply, Mac mini is pretty incredible. No matter how you look at it.

Full metal jacket.
Mac mini features an all-new, 1.4-inch-thin aluminum enclosure. It’s called the unibody — a seamless enclosure carved from a single, solid block of aluminum. The unibody construction was originally developed for Apple’s MacBook Pro. It’s created using computer numerical control, or CNC, machines — the same kind used by the aerospace industry to build mission-critical spacecraft components. This ensures absolute precision of every component of the Mac mini enclosure. Not to mention a stunning aluminum fit and finish that will make any desk proud.


Size wise.
It makes the most of every micron.
You may notice something missing from this Mac mini: the power supply. Actually, its power supply is built in. So there’s no bulky brick, and there are fewer cables to connect. Which means Mac mini takes up even less space than before. A removable panel on the bottom of Mac mini makes upgrading the memory virtually painless. And once you’re inside, you’ll see how clean and organized Mac mini is. With attention paid to the tiniest detail. Like the air intake and vents. They’re practically invisible. And when the fan is running, you’ll barely hear it. It's kind of surprising how so much fits into something so mini.

Many ports. Major possibilities.
Now Mac mini makes it easier than ever to hook up to an HDTV or digital display using the HDMI port and Mini DisplayPort. There’s also a built-in SD card slot so you can grab photos and videos from your digital still or video camera. And even though Mac mini is ultracompact, there’s no shortage of ports. Which means the possibilities are endless. When you connect your peripherals and devices to Mac mini, you’ll notice that even the back has been carefully considered. And on the front of Mac mini is the fast, slot-loading SuperDrive for playing DVDs and CDs — or burning your own.

The world’s most energy-efficient desktop computer.

What Mac mini doesn’t do could be its biggest feat. It doesn’t waste energy. When Mac mini is idle, it consumes less than 10 watts — a 25 percent reduction from the previous generation.* No other desktop computer does that. Mac mini is made from highly recyclable aluminum. And its redesigned, lighter package makes it more efficient to ship.

Steve Jobs On Bill Gates: What The Apple CEO REALLY Thinks Of Microsoft's Founder

In 1996, shortly before Microsoft was deemed an "abusive monopoly," Steve Jobs offered his opinion of the growing, and successful, PC giant: "I guess I am saddened, not by Microsoft's success – I have no problem with their success, they've earned their success for the most part. I have a problem with the fact that they just make really third rate products."

iPhone 4 Diamond Edition: white, unlocked, and $20k

Looking for something a bit more eye-catching than a iPhone 4 with a wooden veneer? Then it looks like you can once again thank Stuart Hughes for throwing any subtlety to the wind and going all out with the so-called iPhone 4 Diamond Edition. As you can see, not only does the phone pack a smattering of diamonds (including a bedazzled Apple logo), but it's a white iPhone 4 (32GB, naturally), and unlocked for good measure. Of course, there's no guarantees you'll actually get it before white iPhone 4s become commonplace, but we're pretty sure this is $20,000 well spent either way.

White PS3 Slim hits Japan July 29th with 160GB and 320GB HDD options

Looks like we've (almost) solved the mystery of PlayStation 3's FCC-bound CECH-2501 models. Sony just announced a "classic white" PS3 Slim (as opposed to the "ceramic white" original) for Japan, model CECH-2500, coming July 29th -- and not just with the typical 160GB HDD. For 34,980 yen (about $400 translated to US currency), you can now start off with 320GB of storage. Not to worry, the aforementioned 160GB still retails for 29,980 yen ($342). So, when are we gonna see this elsewhere in the world, hm?

Ask Engadget HD: Should I switch to Windows Media Center?

Though the Apple iPad and the Samsung Wave most assuredly share the same brain, EE Times would like you to know there's more to a chip than its core -- analyzing Apple's system-on-a-chip designs in detail back to early iPhones, the publication noticed that Cupertino's silicon both has custom design quirks on top of ARM and shows heavy influence from Samsung as well. EE Times claims that while the A4 and Samsung S5PC110 are similar, there are certainly differences, enough to call the A4 a custom design. Essentially, Apple has a taken a one-size-fits-all product originally engineered to meet the needs of a broad range of OEMs and reduced its complexity, footprint, and cost to match Apple's particular goals. As far as whether PA Semi or Intrinsity had a hand in that design, the authors suggest only the latter seems very involved. What all this means for intellectual property questions is anyone's guess -- we'll let the lawyers fight that one out -- but when you encounter diehard fans that claim one's ripping off the other, at least now you'll be able to calmly explain the situation. Find the deep technical dive at our source link.

Flash 10.1 ported to iPad, burninates the countryside Latest Video

Take it with a grain of salt, but it's looking like some prayers have been answered on this Fourth of July -- Flash (or is that "Frash"?) is running on this man's iPad, cleverly ported from Android. The YouTube video claims that by using a compatibility layer, the Android runtime can play Flash content natively in Safari, but only on iPad so far -- iPhone 3GS support is planned soon, as is iOS 4, and there's a call for developers to move the project forward at GitHub. We've no way of determining its legitimacy at this moment, but it sure seems like Comex (he of the iPad "Spirit" jailbreak) has outdone himself this time, and hey, where there's smoke, there's fire, right? See Strongbad answer emails on iOS, right after the break.

Update: It appears Comex has indeed been working on this project for some time; a second blurry video after the break (running on iPhone) shows us what it used to look like.

Verizon iPhone Release Date – Verizon Gets iPhone in January 2011

Verizon iPhone Release Date – Verizon Gets iPhone in January 2011

The long awaited, and much rumored Verizon iPhone is said to be on the way in January 2011.

According to a Bloomberg report – and associated video release – the iPhone will be available via Verizon starting in January 2011. This of course means that the long stranglehold that AT&T has had on the iPhone since 2007.

With AT&T being the exclusive carrier of Apple’s new iPhone 4, AT&T has been able to lock in a massive army of iPhone customers for the next 2 years. So the strategy from AT&T has apparently been to ensure that Apple utilizes them for the iPhone 4 launch, and then to bite the bullet with a Verizon iPhone announcement post iPhone 4 launch.

With the iPhone 4 coming to market, Verizon customers had to once again sit on the sidelines and fore go the iPhone 4 craze. However, companies like Samsung, HTC, Palm have seen this opportunity on the Verizon network and started developing their own touch data phones to compete with the iPhone – most of which are now powered by Google Android OS.

So come January 2011, will you be standing in line at the Verizon store waiting to purchase your new iPhone?

Microsoft Kin News – Microsoft Kin Taken Off Market After 48 Days

Microsoft Kin News – Microsoft Kin Taken Off Market After 48 Days

What is yet another example of the downfall of Microsoft and their product development team, the Microsoft Kin has been pulled off the market after only 48 days from its release.

Microsoft has made the decision, because of disappointing sales, to pull the Microsoft Kin from the market even though the exclusive carrier, Verizon, still has a large inventory of Kins to clear out.

“It’s an absolute failure,” said Charles S. Golvin, an analyst with Forrester Research. Mr. Golvin said he was surprised to see Microsoft kill a product so quickly, given the company’s history of sticking with new products and improving them over time.

Microsoft’s consumer products unit has struggled to offer a credible competitors to Apple’s iPod and more recently the iPhone and an array of smartphones powered by Google’s Android software.

Microsoft also recently canceled a project to develop a tablet computer that would compete with Apple’s popular iPad.

According to the NYTimes.com.

Microsoft has been struggling to find it’s way back into the forefront of technology based consumers. In fact, Microsoft is starting to become better known for its failed products than it is for great (or even half way decent) products.

So I wonder exactly how Bill Gates feels when he sees one failure after another occur with his company.

From Windows OS releases to mobile phones, Microsoft is doing anything but satisfying the market place with their brand and their products.

Sony Vaio Recall – Voluntary Recall of 233,000 Sony Vaio Laptops

Sony Vaio Recall – Voluntary Recall of 233,000 Sony Vaio Laptops

(From TPI.com) – Soni Vaio recall! Sony has issued a voluntary recall of 233,000 Sony Vaio laptops. According to the information available online, the company received 30 complaints from customers who were experiencing overheating problems.

None of the complaints involved injuries, however the high temperatures caused deformation in some of the plastic parts such as keyboards and cases. This led to the conclusion that this was a burn hazard for customers.

The affected laptops in the Sony Vaio recall are models from series VPCF11 and VPCCW”. These computers were sold at many stores and websites both online and offline, including Amazon, Best Buy, Sony Style stores, and Costco among others.