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2008 HONDA FC SPORT

2009-02-03T11:58:00.007-08:00

Honda revealed the Honda FC Sport design study model, a hydrogen-powered, three-seat sports car concept, at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The FC Sport emphasizes the design flexibility and potential of Honda's V Flow fuel cell technology - already deployed in the Honda FCX Clarity sedan - and reconfigures it into a lightweight sports car design with an ultra-low center of gravity, powerful electric motor performance and zero-emissions. The design study concept is inspired by supercar levels of performance through low weight and a high-performance, electrically driven fuel cell powertrain.

"The Honda FC Sport explores how to satisfy automotive performance enthusiasts in a world beyond petroleum," said Dan Bonawitz, vice president of American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "People who love sports cars will still have a reason to love in a hydrogen-powered future."

The high-output Honda fuel cell powertrain and a sleek, aerodynamic body contribute to the vehicle's performance potential. A modular approach to fuel cell component packaging and the electric drivetrain contribute to the FC Sport's low center of gravity with the majority of vehicle mass distributed between the axles, creating the balanced weight distribution sought after in sports cars.
The ideal placement of the Honda V-Flow fuel cell stack and related components demonstrates the benefits of a platform-specific, hydrogen-powered fuel cell powertrain. The FC Sport is configured to accommodate a custom-formed high-power fuel cell stack, located between the rear seats, and a battery pack placed low in the middle of the vehicle. The electric motor resides just forward of the rear axle. Two fuel storage tanks, visible from above, are located above the rear axle.

The optimal placement of fuel cell components for performance also allows for a relatively large passenger cabin by conventional supercar standards with enough space for three seating positions. The interior layout focuses primarily on the driver with a racecar-like center driving position. The enclosed canopy opens upward from the rear to allow for entry and exit. Two rear passenger seats flank the driver's left and right side.
The sleek, low-profile body is designed to convey a high-technology appearance with sculpting that combines angular shapes in the front of the vehicle that taper into geometric, hex forms in the rear. The rear hex forms house cooling radiators for the fuel cell. Formula 1-style barge boards behind the front wheels enhance high speed aerodynamics and convey the vehicle's racing pedigree. The hydrogen storage tanks, visible from the rear deck, showcase the FC Sports fuel cell technology in much the same way that a "naked bike" motorcycle showcases its engineering technology.

The glacier white body color conveys the FC Sport's clean environmental aspirations while the dark wheels and deeply tinted glass provide a symbolic contrast befitting of the vehicle's unique combination of clean power and high performance. Green construction techniques further contribute to a reduced carbon footprint. An organic, bio-structure theme is carried through to the body construction where exterior panels are intended to use plant-derived bio-plastics.

The Advanced Design Studio of Honda R&D Americas, in Pasadena, California, developed the FC Sport design study with the primary objective of using existing fuel cell technology as the basis for an ultimate Honda sports car. Designer Jason Wilbur led the design efforts.

2008 MERCEDES-BENZ C63 AMG

2007-11-26T05:03:00.003-08:00

What it is: A high-performance version of the recently introduced C-class with a large V-8 stuffed under the hood.

Why it's important:it will be the most affordable car in mercedes-Benz's extensive AMG lineup of performance vehicles.
Powertrain:Likely to get the same 475-hp, 6.2-liter V-8 and seven-speed automatic you'll find in the CLK 63 AMG convertible.
Competition:Audi RS4,BMW M3, Cadillac CTS-V,jaguar S-type R.
What might go wrong: Mercedes will probably make the stability control undefeatble,and the C64 AMG just might understeer liks its forebear.
Estimated costs and arrival:Look for the C63 AMG this fall at the Frankfurt auto-show-it could go on sale soon after,in the $60,000 ballpark.

2011 AUDI A7

2007-11-21T04:48:00.001-08:00

What it is:Audi new four-door will slot into the lineup between the A6 and A8.
Why it's important:The very elegant A7 is designed to compete with the Mercedes-Benz CLS.
Platform:It's based on the next generation Audi A6,which will have its longitudinally mounted engine set farther back to improve weight distribution.
Powetrain:The A7 will shareits engines with the upcoming A6.That means a 3.2-liter naturally aspired direct-injection V-6 with at least 265 horsepower and a new turbocharged 3.0-liter powerplant making 300 horsepower.Later,as S7 is planned with a 5.2 V-10 FSI engine and 460 horses.A six-speed automatic as well as the DSG will mate with Audi;s Quatttro system.
Competition:BMW6-series,Mercedes-Benz CLS-class.
What might go wrong:The four-door "coupe" segment is growing rapidly,so by the time the A7 arrives,it could face heady competition.Even the upcoming VW Passat four-door coupe might eat into sales of the A7.
Estimated arrival and costs:The A7s first auto show will be Frankfurt in the fall of 2009.It should go on sale in 2010 as a 2011 model,costing between $50,000 and $65,000.

2009 PORSCHE PANAMERA

2007-11-12T04:36:00.000-08:00

What it is: Porsche's long-awaited front engine luxury sport sedan will add fifth model to the lineup.
Why it's important:Once exclusively a sport-car outfit,Porsche is fats becoming s highly rpofitable full-line luxury band.As such,the Panamera four-door is a crucial link in continuing the company's hot streak.
Platform:Ostensibly an all-new platform wholly developed by Porsche,the new front-engine,rear drive arhitecture may underpin future sedans in the Volkswagen/Audi family.
Powertrain:We're expecting tha Panamera to share its engines with Cayenne sport-utility.Tham means a 4.8 liter direct-injection V-8 with at least 385 horsepower an a twin-turbocharged version of the same engine with 500 horsepower.A six speed automatic might be the only transmission offered;a manual is belived to be unlikely.Europeans might get a base V-6 version making 290 horsepower.
Noteworthy technology: A gas-electric hybrid could debut in 2010 or 2011.
Competition: Aston martin rapide,Audi A8,BMW 7-series,Mercedes-Benz S-class,Jaguar XJ,Lexus LS460
What might go wrong: The Panamera is smaller than its competitors,which might turn off some buyers,And as Porsche continues to widen its reach into other car segments,the brand could lose the focus that was once devoted to sport cars.
Estimated arrival and costs:Should be unveiled at the 2008 Detroit show and then go on sale that year as 2009 model,with a price range of $70,000 to $100,000.

2008 JAGUAR XF

2007-11-08T10:50:00.003-08:00

What it is:The XF replaces the poor-selling Jaguar S-type,which went on sale in the U.S in 1999.
Why it's important:Jaguar is up to its neck in hot water,especially in the U.S,where its grand sales plan failed to materialize-at current rates,the company could conceivably sell fewer than 20,000 vehicles in 2007,down from 54,655 in 2003.
Platform:The current S-type sits on the DEW98 arhitecture that was shared with the dearly departed Lincoln LS.The XF will use a further updated version of this platform,whish was heavily reworked for the 2003 model year.
Powertrain:The S-type currently comes with a 235-hp,3,0-liter V-6, a naturally aspired 300-hp V-8,or a supercharged 400-hp,4.2-liter V-8-all mated to six-speed automatics.The XF will be fitted with midly updated versions of the existing V-8,a3,5-liter V-6,and a supercharged 5,0-liter direct-injection V-8 in the range-topping supercharged R model.Expect it to make about 500 horsepower.
Noteworthy technology:The 5.0 liter V-8 is new but based loosely on the AJ-V8 engine tht also used on Land Rovers.
Competition:Audi A6 and A7,BMW 5-series,Infiniti M35/45,Lexus GS,Mercedes E-class and CLS-class.
What might go wrong:THe XF's dramatically edgy styling might alienate traditional jaguar owners.But as sales demonstrate,those buyers are dwindling lot anyway.
Estimated arrival and costs:Production is to begon later this year for sale next spring.Expect prices to start in the high $40,000s ad top out in the mid-$70,000s for the R.

2008 SUBARU IMPREZA WRX STI

2007-11-07T03:15:00.002-08:00

What it is:This turbocharged,roadgoing rally car returns with a controbersial new look and a better interior.
Why it's important:The STI established itself as a performance icon,and Subaru plans to distance it even further from its mode sedate WRX brother.
Platform:Same as that recently introduced WRX.
Powertrain:In a move that seems motivatede by cost considerations,the STI employs a revamped version of the curent 2,5 liter boxer turbo that is expected to develop upwards of 300 horsepower and about 295 pound-feet of torque.A carry-over six-speed manual transmission in the cards
Competition:Audi S4,BMW 335i,Mitsubishi lancer evolution X,Volkswagen R32.
What might go wrong:The Impreza's new look,no matter how much STI cosmetic makeup gets tacked on,might turn off buyers.
Estimated arrival and cost:Expect to see the STI in showrooms early in 2008 for about $34,000 after a debut at this fall's Tokyoshow.

2009 CHEVROLET CAMARO

2007-11-02T04:16:00.002-07:00

What it is:GM's much-hyped return of beloved played-muscle car it discontinued in 2002.
Why it's important:The succes of the 2005 Ford Mustang showed there is money to be made in the segment.
Platform:The reanimation of the Camaro doubled as an admission that engineering of the Global RWD Arhitecture,nee Zeta,never really ceased in Australia.
Powertrain: we're expecting two V-8s-a400-hp 6,0-liter and a high-po 500-plus-horse B-8-and an entry model with a 3,6-liter V-6.Buyers can choose a six speed manual or a six speed automatic.
Competition:Ford Mustang,Dodge challenger
What might go wrong:GM elder Bob Lutz has said proposed CAFE standards may prove too tough for rear-wheel-drive vehicles to meet.At the moment,the Camarois still a go,but there's a chance the convertible may not follow a year later.
Estimated arrival and costs:The Camaro is due in early 2009,the convertible in 2010.Look for prices to run from $25,000 to $35,000.

2008 DODGE CHALLENGER

2007-10-30T05:37:00.002-07:00

What it is:A front engine,rear-wheel-drive,five-passenger retro coupe that slavishly copies the 1970 original
Why it's important:This Chrysler's play for a piece of the pony-car market that Ford has been gobbling whole since the introduction of the 2005 Mustang that sold 160,975 units that year.
Platform:The concept rides on a shortened version of the rear-wheel-drive LX platform(Dodge Charger,Chrysler 300),but the production Challenger could be a short-wheelbase version of the next-gen LY arhitecture.
Powertrain:Look under the hood for the 6.1 liter Hemi V-8 kicking up 425 horsepower,with the anticipated option of a 500 horse,392-cubic-inch V-8,as well as a base model with a V-6.In addition to the six-speed automatic,the hope is Chrysler wild do the right thing and offer a six-speed manual in the spirit of Challengers of yore.
Competition: Ford Mustang, Chevrolet Camaro.
What might go wrong:Ford was pleasantly surprised with the succes of the 2005 Mustang,but the Challenger,Camari,and Mustang likely will be duking it out for shares of a segment that has been partly sated.
Esimated arrival and costs:The production Challenger will get spotlight treatment at the Chicago auto show in February 2008.We expect production to begin next spring as a 2008 model.
Pricing will be competitive with the Mustang and Camaro,in the $25,000-to-$35,000 range.
A convertible is not planned,but we expect an SRT performance version,perhaps launching simultaneaosly next spring.

A few more photos of the superb Dodge Challenger:

2010 ASTON MARTIN RAPIDE

2007-10-29T03:31:00.002-07:00

What it is: The Rapide is essentially a four-door version of Astons's DB9 two-plus-two coupe.It's a more elegant,less spacious,and more expensive alternative to existing four-door high-performance luxury sedans.
Why it's important:Now that Aston Martin has been sold by Ford to a consortium headed by David Richards od Prodrive,which builds Subaru rally cars among its many ventures,the Rapide gives Aston a fourth model line that should help increase output from 7000 cars annually to 9000.
Platform:The Rapide is built on Aston Martin's VH("vertical horizontal")all-aluminium structure,stretched nearly 10 inches in wheelbase to make room for a piar of adults in back.Overall,the Rapide is 12 inches longer than the DB9.
Powertrain:As it stands,the Rapide will use a version of Aston's 5.9-liter V-12 engine that will put out 473 horsepower,up from the DB9's 444.The show car that was revealead ad Detroit in 2006 also used the DB9's ZF six-speed automatic transmission with pafflde shifters.
Competition:Audi S8,Bentley Flying Spur,Maserati Quattroporte,Mercedes-Benz S65 AMG,Porsche Panamera.
What might go wrong:The likely asking price(more than $200,000)puts the Rapide in highfalutin company,particulary since the Porsche Panamera is reputed to cost as mach as 100large.
Estimated arrival and costs:Keep an eye out for Rapide sometime in 2009,priced at about $220,000.

BMW 135 i

2007-10-28T04:00:00.002-07:00

M3:All eyes are on the 414-hp V-8-powered M3 coupe from the '07 series arhitecture.The engine based on the 5.0-liter V-10 in the M5 and M6,features an 8400-rpm redline and an accessible 295pound-feet of torque at 3900 rpm.Our initial test produced a 0-to-60 time of 4.4 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 12.9 seconds at 11mph.A six-speed manual is the only transmission available when the M3 goes on sale next spring.A twin clutch transmission is expected to debut in a year.The bad news is the M3 has put on about 300 punds over its '06 predecessor ,and the base price will likely be about $7000 more.
1-series: A coupe version of the smallest BMW is the U.S-bound in 2008.Two engines will power the 1-series: a 3.0 liter inline-six with 230 horsepower will be under the hood of the 128 i and 300 -hp twin-turbo inline-six will power the 135i.A sport suspension and body kit will be standard on 135 i and optional on the 128i.Both engines will come with a standard six speed manual and optional automatic. Price is expected to start below $30,000 and top off near $40,000 for a well optioned 135i.
5-series: Exterior styling is tweaked slightly front and rear,although the big news is in the six-cylinder models.Last year's 215-hp 525i becomes the 528i,thanks to a 230-hp,3.0-liter inline-six the 255-hp 530i morphs into the twin-turbo 300-hp 535i.
All wheel drive is available in both six-cylinder models.
The V-8 powered 550i gets the styling tweaks but is mechanically unchanged.
6-series:New front and rear fascias seek to keep design fresh,and the 6-series coupe and convertible soldier on with np major mechanical changes.
Unchanged: M5,M6,X5,Z4,Z4M,3-series,7-series
Dead:525i,530i

FERRARI

2007-10-25T03:35:00.003-07:00

F430:
Ferrari will introduce a lighter,faster version called the Scuderia that will go on sale early in 2008 .It will have 503 horsepower -an increase of 20- and will be about 220 pounds lighter ,with an expected curb weight of about 3100 pounds.
Oh,and it will cost more than $200,000.

HONDA S2000 CR

2007-10-21T09:39:00.002-07:00

THE GRAYING ROADSTER ATTACKS THE TRACK

"Warning!Auto racing is spectacular and exciting,but can be dangerous!" The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course posts this caution next to the driver's bathrooms,so it's probably worth repeating in this introduction to the Honda S2000 CR.For the CR-the initials stand for "Club-Racer"-is about rubber-chunking,brake-burning,wall-fanning track work.You wouldn't really want the shale-stiff CR for anything else,which is perhaps why Honda plans to sell only 1400 copies of the circa-$38,000 CR in 2008.
The CR,for which the air conditioning and stereo are optionals deletes, "brings the pure open-sports-car concept of tje S2000 to full maturation",says Shigeru Uehara,chief engineer on both the S2000 and Acura NSX,and honda's preeminent sports-car sensei.After 36 years polishing the big H,Uehara calls the CR his "final gift" before retirement this fall.
There's no bump to the base S2000's 2,2-liter four or its 237 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque.The CR's credentials are mainly in suspension and aero improvments,some labels and cockpit detailing,and body stiffening.
The CR's front bumper is bearded with a thick spoiler that lowers underbody pressure and reduces lift.The wind tunnel shaped the rear wing to the bite into clean air to the left and right of the cockpit but preserve rear visibility.Twin fairings behind the seats channel air more cleanly for reduced lift when the aluminium hardtop is removed.The electric-folding roof is left of the CR,along with sound insulation and spare tire,adding up to a net 99-pound weight saving with the hardtop off and 51 pounds with it on,says Honda.An additional brace bridgets the vacant roof well for a claimed 11-percent increase in rear lateral stiffness.
Spring rates and shock-damping settings are hiked considerably,although they remain nonadjustable,and the antiroll bars are thicker.The steering ratio is hastened from 14.9:1 to 13.8:1,and stiffeners are added to the rack mount to increase rigidity.The CR's blocky Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires,tread-widened in back from 245 to 255,proved stickier while lapping Mid-Ohio back-to-back with base 2008 S2000s.
Compared with the base S2000,the CR is simply harder and sharper,with less body roll and tire scrubbing and more corner composure and stability under bracking.With no more horsepower,the CR pruned about three seconds off lap times turned in the base car.That's a gift any racer will surely find spectacular and exciting.

HUMMER H3 ALPHA

2007-10-18T08:33:00.002-07:00

AMERICA'S ODD OFF-ROADER GOES FROM AN ECCENTRIC FIVE TO AN EVEN EIGHT.

Hummer's slamm-caliber H3 started life in 2005 as a tribute less to military hardware than to the old Daktari-style Land Rover,the one with narrow-gauge body,wee 2287cc engine,and storied off-road abilities.The current H3's reletively weeny 242-hp,3.7-liter five-cylinder,smaller body,voluminous23 galloon fuel tank,and optional wall-crawling 4:1 low range are actually ideal attibutes for slow-speed sojours in wild lands where fuel sparse and big engines just wast it.
Alas,even among H3 buyers,the serious safari types would barely fill a jury box.In the paved world,with its short on-ramps and shorter tempers,the five-cylinder is stressed hauling the H3's 4900-pound curb weight to expressway speed's.So Hummer bulks up for 2008 with the H3 Alpha,featuring a pushrod 5,3 liter V-8 with300 horsepower and,more important,320 pounds-feet of torque.
Alpha is Hummer's step-up brand,formely applied to the original civilian Humvee,the H1.The five-cilynder H3 remains in the lineup,starting at $30,695.The H3 Alpha digs in at $39,260.
The V-8 comes with a four speed automatic and is wrapped in the Alpha equipment package,which includes more deluxe interior decor,a Mansoon stereo witha six-CD changer,various power widgets,chromed wheels and trim,and a lower rear-end ratio.Towing capacity rises to a ski-boat-rated 6000 pounds.Plus,Hummer says the V-8 is better for slogging through deep sand where low-speed torque is vital.
Slogging through deep rush hour,the Alpha accelerates more effortlessly and makes V-8 rumbles,but it will never be called gazzele-like.It should slip under the nine-second mark to 60 mph(the five-cylinder does it in about 10 seconds).The ride is still bouncy,the visibility still sacrificed on the small-window altar of macho styling.
With the Alpha,the H3 becomes less an American Land Rover and more a typical Hummer.
....THE REST OF THE LINEUP
H1: Hummer's original product is now available only on special order.

H2: This behemoth gets a version of the Cadillac Escalade's 6.2-liter V-8 with 393 horsepower and nattier interior,plus frame, suspension,and eletrical-system upgrades inherited from GM's redesigned GMT900 full-size trucks.

Here are the main tehnical specification's:

VEHICLE TYPE:front-engine,4 wheel-drive,5 passenger,5 door wagon
BASE PRICE : $39,260
ENGINE TYPE:pushrod 16-valve,V-8,aluminium block and heads,port fuel injection
Displacement..........................325 cu in,5237cc
Power(SAE net).....................300bhp @ 5200 rpm
Torque(SAE net)...................329 lb-ft @ 400 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 4-speed automatic

DIMENSIONS:
Wheel base 111.9 in Lenght:186.7in
Widht: 85,5in Height 74,5 in
Curbweight:4900 lb

PERFORMANCE(C/DEST)
Zero to 60 mph.....................8,5 seconds
Standing1/4mile...................16,5 seconds
Top speed(governor limited)..99 mph

PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY(C/DEST)
EPA city driving....................12 mpg
EPA highway driving............18mpg

MERCEDES-BENZ SLR McLAREN ROADSTER

2007-10-16T03:04:00.002-07:00

A HALF-MILLION BUCKS WILL ALSO BUY YOU 21 MIATAS.BUT THE EFFECT WOULDN'T BE QUITE THE SAME.

From the perspective of Chris Davies,this car makes no sense.Davies is the Brit who's pushing a European Parlamient initiative to limit the top speed of all cars in Europe to just over 100 mph.Since the Mercedes SLR Mclaren roadster can do about twice that,it has to be near the top of the list of "boy toys" that Davies wants to ban.
There's something to his position,but not for the socioenvoironmental reasons davies cites.traveling at speeds of more than 100 mph in any top-down automobiles gets to be uncomfortable,and that applies to the SLR more than most,thanks to the basso bark of its side pipes,relentlessly reminding occupants of every combustion event in the 5,4 liter SQHC 24-valve V-8 engine.With supercharging and intercooling,these are eye-widening events,and they produce eyeball-flattening resoults:617 horsepower at 6500 rpm,a prodigious 575 pund-feet of torquw,0 to 60 mph in a little under four seconds,the quarter-mile in a little aver 11 seconds at about 125 mph.
The roadster may hit these marks a smidge slower than a hardtop,due to its slightly greater mass.Mercedes reports that the roadster weights about 100 more pounds than the 3858-puond coupe.But that won't matter to the deep-pocketed few.The roadster is about style and exclusivity,high speeds or low.
In fact,Klaus Nesser,head of exclusive products for Mercedes,expects drotop-SLR buyers to be more inclined ti cruising than racing.An open car provides more opportunity to been seen and envied.Just drop the automatic top,which takes about 10 seconds.
Nesser says the convertible conversion was easy:"All we had to di was remove the roof."Herr Nesser was joking,but only a little.The roadster's body uses a stronger carbon-fiber weave than the coupe(triaxial weave versus biaxial),and there are hefty steel beams in the A-pillars.But beyond that,the body shell needed no reinforcement.If there's any compromise in chassis rigididy,it's subliminal.
Chassis rigidity is the corner stone of agility,and the roadster's credentials on this score are hard to fault.Grip is abundant,responsses are mongoose quick,and the carbon ceramic brakes are equal to the power,which is both vast and seductive,
Still,the SLR's dynamics are aslo hard to love at first drive.The steering is overly weighted,a little short on feel,and quick at 2.3turns lock-to- lock: a tricky blend.And the brakes-by-wire system is too eager by half.It's hard to be smoth with this car.
But whaddya want for a half-million bucks?The SLR's capabilities are slightly outrageous,and it's curbside presence even more so.Exclusivity never comes cheap.

Here are tehnical specifications:
vehicle type:front-engine,rear-wheel-drive,2-passenger,2-door roadster

Estimated base price: $500,00

Engine type:supercharged and intercooled SQHC 24-valve0V-8 aluminium block and heads,port fuel injection
Displacement..........332 cu in,5439cc
Power(SAE net).....617 bhp @6500rpm
Torque....................575 lb-ft@3250rpm

Transmission:5-speed automatic with manumatic shifting

Dimensions:
Wheel base:106.3 Lenght:183,4 in
Widht:75,1 in Height:50,4 in
curbweight:3960 lb

Performance(MFR'S EST)
zero to 60 mph.............3,8 sec
top speed(limited)......207 mph

Projected Fuel Economy(C/DEST):
EPA city driving...........12 mpg
EPA highway driving....17mpg

Audi goes X3 hunting

2007-10-13T05:55:00.002-07:00

Q7 suv gets a baby brother

Audi is poised to introduce two crossover sport-utility vehicles in the next years.Late in 2008,the midsize Q5 is expected to debuton the same arhitectures as the '08 A5 coupe and next generation A4 sedan.A year after the Q5 goes on sale,Audi will follow up with the smaller and sportier Q3 previewed by the Cross Coupe Quattro concept shown at the Shanghai auto show.Built on the same platform as the '09 Volkswagen Tiguan,the Q3 will have a transversely mounted engine and all-whell drive provided by an electonically controlled center clutch pack.Additionally,an electronically controlled locking rear differential similar to that of Saab's XWD system may find its way into the Q3.To distance the Q3 from its Volkswagen brother,the Audi will offer on-road performance,won't have a speck of off-road ability,and will be firmly entrenched in the $30,000 range.
Surprisingly,the Q3 will be packed with several features that Audi generally reserves for ots sportiiest cars,the RS4 and R8.Those options will include ceramic composite brakes like those of the R8,cross-linked dampers similar to the system on the RS 4,and driver-selectable suspension settings.In addition, a so called drive-select program will give the choice of three different modes(sport,efficiency,and dynamic)that affect suspension tunning,throttle response,transmission shifts,and steering effort.As one would expect,in efficiency mode the Q3 will work toward maximizing fuel economy:The engine will shut off when idling and minimize the use of air conditioning.Audi claims efficiency mode will boost fuel economy by 20 percent.
A new 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel four-cylinder will power the Q3.This engine will be introduced in the redesigned A4.Expected to meet emissions standard in all 50 states,the new engine will produce about 200 horsepower and 295 pund-feet of torque.Coupled to Audi's S tronic dual-clutch gearbox,the powertrain is purported to be able to return 40 mpg,in addition to the diesel,the 200-hp gas-powered turbo four from the Audi A3 will be offered.
At the 172,4 inches long,the Q3 doesen't promise Chevy Suburban levels of interior room, but Audi claims that pushing the wheels toward the corners will maximize interior volume.Other differences from the Tiguan will be a more aggressive exterior design with a large Audi-style grille,large wheels,and Q7 styling cues.One problem that remains is the name.Infiniti unleashead its legat office on Audi for using the letter "Q" for the Q7.Audi settled with infiniti and the Japanese automaker agreed to let Audi have the Q7 and Q5 names,but thr future of the Q3 name remains in limbo.

2008 Lamborghini Reventón

2007-10-10T11:02:00.002-07:00

Deciding not to wait until a coachbuilder picks up a Murciélago to convert it into something different, Lamborghini decided it could do the job better and started work on project code LP640/2, aka the M.O.A., which stands for "Meanest of All." Spokesman Dominik Hoberg said the designation was decided on because the car is expected to have "at least" 650 bhp. However, we now know the final name of the car to be the 2008 Lamborghini Reventón.
We all agree that the look is stunning. All body parts are new, except for the windshield. Edgy, metallic-gray carbon panels form an extreme appearance inspired by modern aircraft design. The Reventón sports LED lighting front and rear, an all-new fuel inlet and black alloy wheels topped with carbon blades.

True to stock dimensions, the Reventón was designed in-house by Centro Stile Lamborghini and "embodies a compression of the brand's DNA," as CEO Stephan Winkelmann points out. Underneath, the Reventón is all Murciélago with a 6.5-liter V-12 drivetrain.

The interior is as special as the exterior. Instead of the stock instrumentation, you'll find functional 3D displays including a g-force meter. By pressing a button, instruments can be changed to a classic analog readout.

The 20 slated for production next spring carry a price tag of €1 million. Eleven cars are destined for the U.S.

Maserati GranTurismo

2007-10-09T10:09:00.002-07:00

Geneva Auto Show is the host for The brand-new, long-awaited Maserati GranTurismo, styled by Pininfarina.The key words that describe the interior style are: modernity, elegance, craftsmanship, sportiness, liveability.Starting with the qualities that make it very pleasant when speaking of every day enjoyment (more room in the back than the average for the segment, the rear seats that have been designed to accommodate two adults comfortably even on long journeys, attractive design, wide range of materials, leather, woods and colour combinations available) and continuing with the strong visual impact inspired by the lines of the Pininfarina Birdcage 75th concept car, you can say that Maserati GranTurismo is definetly a car that outshines many other manufacturers.
The attention to detail exudes from a number of features such as the subtle chrome inlay that elegantly decorates the buttons on the dashboard and steering wheel, the Trident logo hand-crafted on the seat headrests, the Alcantara trim lining the back of the gear change paddles, the leather belt fitting, front seats, beautifully handcrafted.
As technical specifications that makes this high-performance sports car very exciting to drive, we can mention:
- V8 4.2 engine with 405 hp at 7,100 rpm and maximum torque of 460 Nm at 4,750 rpm, of which 75% is already achievable at 2,500 revs. Its maximum speed is 285 km/h, and it accelerates from 0-62 mph in 5.2 seconds.
- Weight distribution is 49% on the front, 51% at the rear.
- The gearbox is automatic with self-adjusting controls which adapt the gear change to the driving style and conditions.
- The car is 4,881 mm long with a wheel base of 2,942 mm. The standard wheel rim is 19” or 20” as an option.
Once again, the the Maserati - Pininfarina team has produced an exciting car whose construction, unique and inimitable style sets it apart from the competition, which makes the name of the new model - Maserati GranTurismo- not to seem as a coincidence at all.

2007 Callaway C16 Corvette

2007-10-08T04:16:00.003-07:00

On March 16 2007, Callaway Cars has announced that the C16 Convertible will be unveiled at the New York International Auto Show.
The new car is based on the Chevrolet Corvette platform and it incorporates an impressivelineup of exclusive, ultra-high performance characteristics.
The designer of the C16 Convertible is the experienced Paul Deutchman, the same one that has also drawn and modeled the C16 Coupe and that has a 20 year portfolio with Callaway designs. He has managed to achieve an integrated look of the C16 Convertible by remodeling the original design, by redrawing every panel of the standard body while maintaining the easy to operate power top.
The engine is a supercharged 6.0 liter V8, with 560 hp. But if requested, the C16 convertible has also an optional performance Package which brings 616 supercharged horsepower and 582 lb-ft of torque at 4,750 rpm.
The Callaway C16 Convertible can reach 60 in 3.5 seconds and 11.2 seconds for a quarter mile. You will find 3 transmission options on the Callaway Convertible : 2 six speed manual transmissions or 1 six speed automatic with paddle shift.
The brake system is especially made for Callaway. In order for the car to be able to go from 200 mph+ to instant rest, the system will be using 6-piston front and 4-piston rear calipers gripping 355mm diameter rotors.
On the inside you will be amazed by the fine German leather and Alcantara which covers the convertible’s cockpit. Recaro has chosen and manufactured the extremely stylish seats. The clients will have a great importance in how the car will exactly look like, because the cars are built only at order and they are serialized and identified by its build plaque; also top and interior appointments will be chosen by the client.
The car has an advanced spring/damper system (developed by /Eibach Multi-Pro coil-over suspension) which features ride height, corner weight, and pitch angle adjustability. The dumpers are made from aluminum and have mounted on remote reservoirs that give to the driver the possibility to customize by his likings settings for track or road conditions.
If you want to be one of the exclusive customers for this car you will have to have waiting and ready to roll in your bank account about 128 765 $.

2008 Shelby Cobra GT500 KR

2007-10-07T01:51:00.002-07:00

The most powerful Mustang ever, the 2008 Shelby GT500 KR is to be unveiled at the New York International Auto Show. This new car will mark once again Mustang as KING OF THE ROAD, at the 40’th anniversary of the 1968 Shelby Cobra GT500KR.
The one who has been responsible for keeping the original Shelby muscle car spirit is Doug Gaffka, Ford SVT chief designer, together with his team and Shelby team.The carbon composite hood has been custom designed and it was mainly supervised by Gary Davis, vice president of production and product development for Shelby Automobiles. He has managed to give a visual indication of the extra horsepower that lies underneath the hood, by sculpting a modern version of the original hood scoop.
The polished aluminum, Shelby-designed 20 inch, forged and polished wheels bring once again the exclusive spirit to front. The models that will enter production will arrive at the customer with the 18-inch version of the design.The engine is a 5.4 L supercharged V8 which brings the “King of the Road” to 540 horsepower and 510 lb-ft. of torque. A six-speed tranny helps power to get to the rear wheels.The Shelby Team has worked closely with Ford’s SVT and Racing teams in order to recalibrate suspension and to bring improvement to the steering and handling. Features of recalibration include advancing the ignition timing and also re-mapping of the electronic throttle settings. This will bring a quicker throttle response for better off-line and middle range acceleration.As expected, the production will be a 1000 units limited one and it will start arriving to Ford Dealers in the spring of 2008. Every single one of the limited 1000 KR models will be identified 40’th anniversary KR badges on fenders and grille.

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

2007-10-06T05:16:00.002-07:00

This super car’s name wants us to remember the sparkling mind of a Ferrari coach builder, Sergio Scaglietti. He created some of the most fabulous cars for Ferrari manufacturer in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
Being produced at the Ferrari’s Carrozzeria Scaglietti factory, the 612 Scaglietti is a 4 seats - 2 doors coupe that owns of course a 5.7 L (5748 cc) V12 engine produces a power of 540 CV (533 hp/397 kW) and a torque of 588 N·m (434 ft·lbf), that can make the car touch 100 km in 4,2 seconds, the top speed of the Scaglietti is 315 km/h.

The design of this luxurious super car knows no boundaries. We can talk endless about the comfort that every element that car possesses, beginning with the steering-wheel mounted and fascia-mounted controls, the Hi-End Bose sound system that is especially configure to optimize the acoustics of the leather and aluminum. Even the luggage compartment is benefiting of a lot of space: 240-liters. Of course, it couldn’t be a top new super car, a 2006 model if it wouldn’t had the new technology like MP3 player, Bluetooth, voice recognition system, a Compact Flash memory card reader that allows 4 GB of music to be stored and even a radio-CD system with satellite navigation system, and a point for safe handling is the parking sensors that comes in the standard price of the car, 250,509$.

Bigger boxer six

2007-10-04T11:58:00.002-07:00

Subaru goes to 3,6 liters for more muscle

Slow sales have Subaru planners reexamining the B9 Tribeca,with its 3-0 liter boxer-six getting particular atention.Although the engine is Sub's biggest mill,power-and most noticeably torque-rises considerably owning to a 20 percent displacement bump to 3,6 liters.
Rest assured,it's still an iconoclastic boxer,with even new quirks due to constraints of manufacturing and packaging.For instance,while the bore spacing is unchanged(there's only a slight increase in cylinder caliber),the stroke is way up,rissing from 80 mm to 91.
That requires some unusual,asymetric connecting roads to keep the engine's wais line from expanding to much.
Result?256 horse power at 6000 rpm and 247 pound of torque at 4400-up from the 3.0-liter's 247 ponies and way up from it's puny old 215 pound-feet of torque.That's the good news.The even better news is that it'll now run on regular gas due to revamped(and far more efficient)coolant paths.Best of all ,expect 10 to 15 percent better fuel efficienty.
Just another one of those win,win,win situations you hear so often about.

Ferrari F50 Super Car

2007-10-02T13:01:00.002-07:00

For the celebration of the 50th birthday of the car manufacturer Ferrari, the company released on the market in 1995 a sport car, two doors, two seats with a convertible hard top. This F50 Ferrari had of course an V12 engine inspired from Alain Prost’s 1990 Ferrari 641/2 F1 racecar, with 60-valve.
This super car had to be an limited edition to continue with the company’s myths that not everyone that wants a Ferrari can also have it. The model of F50 produced, the number 349, was made in Italy in 1997.One of this model of super car also manage to get a fabulous owner: the Sultan of Brunei ordered a Ferrari F50 in 1998, it was a custom model made especially for him.
With a weight of 2976 lb., this super car has a length of 176.4 in., a height of 44.1 in., and a width of 78.2 in can reach a maximum power of 513 bhp @ 8000rpm and a mximum torque of 347 lb-ft @ 6500rpm.
At a price of 569,690$, Ferrari F50 can reach the speed of 100 km/h in just 3.7 seconds.

Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano Super Car

2007-10-01T07:05:00.002-07:00

The production of this super car, Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano started in 2007 and is a 2 seat model. Ferrari 599 debuted in 2006 at Geneva Motor Show and it was named after its engine which has 5999 Cm. The successor of the Ferrari 575M, Fiorano car has 6 speed semi automatic transmission, V12 engine under the hood and 611 Hp ,which makes it the most powerful super car produced by Ferrari road car and can touch 100 km/h in just 3,7 seconds and up to 200 km/h in just 11 seconds and the max speed is 320 km/h.
Compared with Ferrari 612,the wheelbase is shorter with 110 and the car is faster,with a weight of 1680 kg and will use F1-Trac, new traction system of Ferrari.
This super car will also appear in GrandTurismo series of video games,and can be play on Playstation or you can buy a real one at the price of 250000 USD.

Audi RSQ - Future car or just a concept?

2007-09-28T05:35:00.002-07:00

From all times car manufacturers are trying to design the cars of the future. If we are talking about cars that stared in movies like Batman, Agent 007 we can see that the companies produced some prototypes that are featured with a special and distinguish design, with powerful motors and a lot of astonishing characteristics.
The main question is, in what kind of measures someone can produce a car thought for 2035? How can they predict what kind of motor will be using, what kinds of features and especially, what will be the top speed of one of this future cars?
The Audi manufacturer imagined how can all this will be.
Audi made a prototype that is supposed to be used in the future, based on the story of the movie I Robot, a car that can be drove in the year 2035.
For the first time, the manufacturer Audi collaborated with the I Robot movie director Alex Proyas on this project. They made a car that contains of course, first of all, the emblem of Audi company, the 4 rings and the traditional design of all Audi cars.
The special parts that may be said that comes from the future thinking are the wheels transformed in spheres and the butterfly doors.
We may say that the company has not thought yet about what kind of engine the car will use, what kind of speed and other elements of technology, the car is made more for it`s sequential appearance in that movie and not for it`s ability of his technical characteristics. For all that we may agree that the concept of future car remains just an idea, because nobody can actually know what kind of engine can be conceived for all the new fuels that our scientist are now just in the phase of experimenting.

Audi RSQ - Future car or just a concept?

2007-09-28T05:32:00.004-07:00

Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia

2007-09-27T04:23:00.002-07:00

Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia is a car made according to the requirements of the long distance rally. The engine Porsche Cayenne Transsyberia has been adopted from the standard street version with almost no modifications. This V8 4.8 liter with direct injection is capable of generating 385 hp (283kW) at 6200 rpm.The management of the valve VarioCam plus assures a stable consumption on the whole speed range.Despite the increase of power toward the previous Cayenne generation, the new V8 4.8 liter engine reduces the combustible consumption with aprox. 15%, giving this model a significant autonomy-obviously a great advantage when it comes to long distance rally. In fact, the engine is capable to function on the base of a compound between gas and ethanol (in a maximum proportion of 25%). A sporty evacuation system reduced for the minimum weight, gives birth to a powerful and aggressive sound.Like all the other models from Cayenne, Porsche Transsyberia is also equipped with the permanent traction management system 4 x4 of Porsche (PTM). In the base variant, PTM offers 62% from the engine spin to the back wheels and 38% for the front ones.
The gear on several discs, electronically controlled is capable of giving variations depending on the road conditions, offering up to 100% from the power of the engine to the front or back wheels is necessary.Protection panels overdimensioned and with increased resistance, made from aluminium and a supplementary inoxidable steel protection for the pipes, protect the car from damages.Especially on muddy road, the Dynamic Control System of the Porsche chassis, with the air suspensions and the Active Management System of the Porsche System improve the traction at an even higher standard, and if the driver activates the low range mode of the automatic transmission in 6 steps, SDCS will pass automatically to the off road mode.This way, the system allows the maximum articulation of the axle. In the special off-road mode offered by the air suspensions, the maximum deep when crossing rivers is aprox. 75 cm and using the flexible air alimentation tube, the admission system has been moved even higher, making sure that the water will not affect the engine.
The wheels and the suspension have also been modified for long term extreme conditions. The standard tyres are replaced by 255/55 R 18 T off road tyres. To counter-balance the supplementary weight of the protection cage and of the rally equipment, and in order to lower even more the weight center of the car, the rear bench, the interior panels and the phonic isolation material have been removed. The driver and the front passenger will enjoy the benefits of the sport benches. Porsche Cayenne S Transsyberia in the standard model comes with a navigation unit, which allows the team to plan routes even when they are not on the road.

Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

2007-09-24T02:59:00.002-07:00

Thin Bull Lambo have announced a lighter version of model Gallardo that is to make its debut at Geneva. Called “Superleggera”, this model is a replica given preventive to those rumours about a possible Ferrari F430 Challenge Stradale.The Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera comes with robotized mechanical e-gear as standard, a sports package including shock absorbers and special suede-covered steering wheel. Available colours: Midas Yellow, Borealis Orange, Telesto Gray and Noctis Black. Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires (standard) on new Scorpius forged rims accentuate the Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera.
Excitement at high level and maximum driving pleasure are provided thanks to 10 additional horsepower and a 154 lbs weight reduction, the new range-leading Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera.
It needs only 3.8 seconds to go from 0 to 62 mph; 0.2 seconds less than the basic model, and boasting speed and grit under other driving conditions which brings it to first position in its class.
The already low weight (when empty) has been decreased by Lamborghini engineers, by another 100 kg. This task was accomplished by using advanced materials and technologies. The engine hood is made of visible carbon fibre and transparent polycarbonate, a type of material that guarantees lightness and also shows off the magnificent V10. The rear diffuser and underbody covering, the rear-view mirrors, door panels and the central tunnel’s covering are also made of carbon fibre. Further reductions in weight were achieved by replacing certain glass surfaces with transparent polycarbonate. For the interior, monocoque carbon fibre sports seats covered in Alcantara® were chosen to ensure restraint of the driver and passenger during the intense lateral accelerations that the Gallardo Superleggera is capable of achieving around curves.
Those with a “fat” bank account will be able to order the new Gallardo starting with March 2007, but the production volume will be smaller than the standard Gallardo model.

BMW M3 CONCEPT CAR 2007

2007-09-22T01:35:00.002-07:00

BMW M has revealed the first details of the new generation M3 at the Auto Salon from Geneva, with a special concept car. BMW M3 Coupe Concept features a new V8 engine and is scheduled for series production. BMW M3 Coupe concept offers the first information about the production version of the new generation E92 M3 Coupe. The new BMW M3 Concept is based onthe most recently launched BMW Series 3 Coupe (a very appreciated model all over the world, especially version Twin Turbo 335i). For the M3 concept, the body has been redrawn in order to offer the dynamic look that is so appreciated by the enthusiast drivers for over 20 years. The secret of Model M3 is the combination between the day by day car with the power of the engine.
The traditional concept paint finish, “Chrome Shadow” has been used on this long awaited Geneva Show car. The M3 Concept car body has kept without any modifications only the doors boot lid and head and tail lamps. Other than that, the overall silhouette of the 3 Series Coupe has been kept. All the other components have been especially made for the BMW M3 Concept Car. You will be amazed by the most unique exterior aesthetics, which brings into light its superior power.The front apron is dominated by three extra-large air intakes, making it possible for the V8 engine to “devour” air at a faster rate than the previous straight six-cylinder engine.
This new vehicle has a great level of agility and driving stability, symbolised by the muscular front wheel arches which together with the forged 19-inch light alloy rims in the classic Y-spoke design emphasise the vehicle’s wide track.

“BMW M3 represents the highest definition of driving excellence, and the concept revealed at Geneva Motor Show represents more than a few clues on the model that will be soon driven”, said Guenther Seemann, Manager of BMW Group Australia.
If you want to know what the ultimate driving experience will take us in the future, check out the vision BMW M3 Concept Car.

BMW Z9

2007-09-21T01:19:00.003-07:00

The Z9 Gran Turismo concept car has been revealed in 1999, at the Frankfurt Auto Show. It will be making now an entrance on North American Market, with the presentation debut at the New York International Auto Show.
The interior has all the new technology and a very ergonomic design.
The Z9 BMW will be a 2 seated roadster, having a textile roof and probably with an option for hardtop.
There are many control functions that can be controlled very easily from the multifunction Knob located between the front seats.
The doors can be opened by 2 ways: conventionally and in gull wing style.Also, in the centre of the dashboard there is placed an 8.8 inch monitor which gives the driver all the information needed while driving.
Gears (Steptronic transmission) can be shifted buy accessing the buttons mounted on the steering wheel or with the dash-mounted lever.The doors can be opened by 2 ways: conventionally and in gull wing style.
The car is propelled by the V-8 turbo diesel, which has been produced for the first time for the BMW 7 Series 740d model. It produces 413 lbs./ft (560 Nm) of torque, maintained constantly at 1750 and 2500 rpm and it has a maximum power of 245 hp.
The engineers from BMW have designed the supersports car with the engine mounted in the front side and the traction transmitted to the back wheels.
Sources from BMW declared that they expect sales of approximately 15000 pcs per year, which means almost 3 times more than its pre-decessor Z8 (a little over 5700 units per year)
The Z9 will be certainly able to compete with cars like Mercedes SL or Audi R8.
As price horizon, a future series Z9 can reach approximately 100 000 Euro.

BMW Concept CS

2007-09-20T01:57:00.002-07:00

BMW is signalling that soon, the fight of the giants from the premium category will be much tuffer also in the Gran Turismo sport segment. In other words, Maserati Gran Turismo and especially Mercedes Benz CLS will have from the part of the constructor vabaver a great competitor.BMW has presented at the end of last week the prototype of a four-door luxury car, as result of the BMW experience in what concern the production of models capable of offering exceptional performances and excellent comfort for more than two passengers.BMW Concept CS is (for now) a study for a Gran Turismo car from the luxury segment, with modern and sophisticated design, in a modern interpretation of the premium model, with great attention to detail, refined material choice and an exceptional execution. The body is according to the European style standards, with accent on the fluid aspect, with lowered pavilion and weight centre and increased axle base, while the interior is dominated with an innovative design, where a great attention has been given to functionality. The sport chairs best illustrate Ergonomy and comfort for the four passengers.The exterior design is expressive, dynamic with a reinterpretation of the classical BMW line. The sporty characters accentuated by the aerodynamic profile, the curved wings and the rims made of light alloy on 21 inches. The elegance and the innovation are completed by the LED technology used at headlights and by the elongate posterior optical groups covered in clear glass.At the interior, the attention is drawn by the “stratified” surfaces and by the important controls ergonomically placed the comfort in driving being offered by the optimal placement of controls and displays. The interior superior quality finishing is underlined by the contrasting colours, the leather surfaces and the introduction of ceramic materials on controls. The engine is a 6.0 liter V12, which is actually the M5 5.0 liter V10 with 2 extra cylinders.If this concept will become reality in the series production and how hard it will be for BMW to fight a market segment that is now at full development, it remains to be seen.

Hamann Ferrari 612 super car

2007-09-19T04:36:00.002-07:00

The extensive aerodynamic kit with diffuser, the sporty end mufflers for an even stronger sound, agile road-handling through sport suspension and the split-rim light-alloy wheels “Edition Race” in 20 and 21 inch, are only a few of the features that make the new HAMANN Ferrari 612 Scaglietti the perfect car for the gentelman driver that has also high sporting ambitions.
The engineers form Hamann have made a few modifications and at the top of the list there has been a modification of the body, although the Gran Turismo is already a noble vehicle when considering the standard equipment.The sound details and the handling has been kept on the list of modifications also.All modifications in form and function have been made to insure perfect symbiosis and harmony. The front spoiler is coming from Laupheim and it provides optimal downforce on the front axle. The pair of side sill for the flank gives the appearance of lower suspension.Very good downforce is ensured by the rear spoiler and it also gives the sportier look without any disturbance in the basic design. Also downforce is improved by the new rear end component with integrated diffuser.As usual, Hamann gives the possibility to the customer to choose if the aerodynamic components will be made from fibreglass or carbon –Kevlar.The already known “Edition Race”-Hamann self designed will be available when talking about wheels. Nine main spokes which each branch out to form two more characterise this system –a three part, ultra light forged rim with cross spoke design. Here are the tire combinations offered by Hamann: front 9.0 J x 20″ / rear 12.5 J x 20″ - 245/35 ZR 20 / 335/30 ZR20 and front 9.0 J x 21″ / rear 12.0 J x 21″ - 245/30 ZR 21 / 345/25 ZR21.The center of gravity is lowered with the help of a chassis spring assembly, which is very important when it comes to better handling.Sound is also improved as we have said before: customers can order the sport mufflers made from V2A stainless steel, with double exhaust pipes - Ø 90mm-which makes the 540 HP symphony sound twice better and stronger as before.When ordering, customers have the possibility to modify the 612 Scaglietti to their own individual taste: they can choose from the many different colours of leather fittings or different multimedia configurations (DVD player, TV or PlayStation.)

Chevrolet Corvette 2008

2007-09-17T01:04:00.003-07:00

The new Chevy Corvette coupe and convertible will get a little bit closer to its extremely fast Z06 brother performances. In 2007, the LS2 6.0 liter V8 has been removed from the fibre glass engine compartment and replaced with a brand new, with enhanced structure, all aluminum 6.2 unit.The new engine LS3 has SAE certification and its technical specifications are 430 hp and 424 lb-ft of torque with the standard exhaust system, or 436 hp and 428 lb-ft with an optional dual-mode exhaust. This engine is, at 6200, only400 rpm far away from Z06 (7000-rpm maximum speed).The LS3 has borrowed some of the technology from the Z06’s LS7 7.0-liter (like the cylinder head design and the fuel injectors) and it has the same stork as the previous 6.0 liter. It has an increase in displacement, which originates from an increase in bore from 101.6 mm to 103.3 mm and a new camshaft lifts 5 percent higher the intake valves which are also larger than the old engine (with 9%).The engine cover and the acoustically tuned intake manifold will provide the LS3 with a better, more refined sound, which is piped through an exhaust tubing system of 2.5 inches (half inch smaller than that from the Z06).The base Corvette has now a coefficient of drag of and 290 mph and improvements do not end here, because there are also tactile enhancing on both six speed transmissions. Shifts in the automatic can be changed a whole lot quickly now, reaching a 0-60 mph in 4.3 seconds which represents the highest reached by a 2-pedal Corvette.The wheels on the 2008 model are measuring 18 inches diameter infront and 19 inches in the rear. They are made from aluminium and they bring another improvement on the list: steering feel is better and that is also due to the improved machining process.Now, on the interior, the list of improvements continues. Starting from the brushed aluminium accents, XM radio equipment, auto dimming mirrors and finishing with the iPod jack for cars without navigation, they all bring a great feel of elegance combined with sporty utility.The colours available are Jetstream Blue Metallic Tincoat and Crystal Red Metallic Tintcoat.Corvette proves once again that it can face all the technological changes in the supercar world and with the continuous changes it becomes a great alternative for supercars fans, as it usually costs two and sometimes three times less than many supercars

Subaru Impreza WRX 2008

2007-09-16T03:30:00.002-07:00

New York International Auto Show hosts the unveiling of the new Subaru Impreza, which will be out on the market starting from this summer.Comfort is the perfect word to describe the brand new Subaru concept, along with utility and safety (offered by Subaru Symmetrical AWD -All-Wheel drive with the Horizontally Opposed engine) and completed by very sophisticated interior and exterior design lines.The Chassis is completely redesigned along with the bodyconstruction and drivertrain. All performances are improved which gives the driver the pleasure of a very nice ride with pretty easy, agile handling and advanced safety and environmental friendly conditions. Stability has been improved by mounting the engine a little bit lower in the chassis.Modifications have been made to the 2.5 litre SHOC normally aspirated engine which make improved low-end torque and fuel efficiency possible. The output characteristics of the 2.5 Boxer engine comes with a very practical range of driving speeds. The car comes also with enhanced emissions achieved by using a new catalyst system.The exterior styling shines through very good body proportions and quality details which transmits both the sense of speed and individuality. The 2008 Subaru Impreza will be available for orders in 4-door and 5-door versions.More comfort you can find on the inside, where the aluminium look insets in the centre panel, the navigation screen, the audio displays, the vehicle information and the double stitched seat fabrics all inspire a high-level of quality.

Bellow, you can see the main technical specifications:

* Engine Type: Turbocharged Flat-4
* Displacement cu in (cc): 150 (2457)
* Power bhp (kW) at RPM: 224(167) / 5200
* Torque lb-ft (Nm) at RPM: 226(306) / 2800
* Redline at RPM: n.a.
* Brakes & Tires Brakes F/R: ABS, vented disc/vented disc
* Tires F-R: 205/50 R17
* Driveline: All Wheel Drive
* Exterior Dimensions & Weight
* Length × Width × Height in: 180.3 × 68.5 × 58.1
* Weight lb (kg): 3142 (1425)
* Performance Acceleration 0-62 mph s: n.a.
* Top Speed mph (km/h): n.a.
* Fuel Economy EPA city/highway mpg (l/100 km): n.a.

Ruf CTR3

2007-09-15T03:08:00.003-07:00

RUF has announced the release of the brand new CTR3 during the grand opening of a new RUF facility in Bahrain. Twenty years ago the first CTR called the Yellow bird entered the market, followed by the second one ten years later. Both generations had the engines in the rear which makes the difference between them and the new RIF CTR3 which brings the mid engine design, but all three of them keep the feel of a pure driving machine.The new super car’ s development brings great driving stability, very good balance and agile handling through the mid engine design. The aerodynamic body-great for high speed is made of steel combined with aluminium and kevlar-carbon.Safety is very important for supercars and the new CTR 3 makes no exception from the rule and uses the latest version of the RUF Integrated Roll Cage, which protects the passenger compartment. Also, front hood and doors are made of aluminium and they have integrated side impact protection beams.With a very long experience in turbo charged boxer engines, RUF has chosen as propeller for the new supercar the 3.8 litter flat six cylinder engine which has an output of 700 bhp at 7,000 rpm and torque is 657 lb-ft at 4,000 rpm. The new CTR3 can go from 0 to 62 miles/h in 3.2 sec and can reach a top speed of 235 mph.New design has been also used in construction of the sequential shift six speed transmission which can handle a maximum of 885lb-ft.High performance, written all over the new supercar couldn’t have missed from the brake system: the two front axles use 6 piston fixed light alloy callipers and ventilated, cross drilled ceramic composite discs and each one of them has a diameter of 380 mm.The front wheels have central locking and are forged aluminium with 255/35 ZR19 tires and at the rear 335/30 ZR20 tires are mounted on 12.5” X 20” wheels. The customers can order the car with personal interior design and they can choose from lightweight finish to sporty luxury finish with special leather and alcantera.

Audi Abt R8 Supercar

2007-09-14T02:24:00.003-07:00

Abt Sportsline’s R8 is one of those amazing supercars which is able to bring the magic to the experienced exclusive driver. The new supercar can easily compete with dream cars like Lamborghini’s Gallardo, Ferrari’s F430 or Porsche’s 911 Turbo.
The pure sang racing genes are recognised by the first press reviews which agree that the Kempten –based tuner managers have done a great job in developing a great serial model like R8.Roadholding is a special feature of the R8 and is achieved through, unique design of the rear with four inclined exhaust end pipes, rear diffuser and extravagant rear wing.The sideblades and side skirts developed especially for the new ABT R8 enhance aerodynamics. Downforce is improved with add-on parts from super sports cars in the Allgäu-region. This way perfect balance of the front and rear axis is provided and this is a characteristic found only in a few exclusive sports cars.The body is constructed using carbon-fibre parts with high precision and attention to detail and this way it provides great weight reduction and weight distribution, very important feature for high speed range cars.
High tech design touches from Kempten –competing with from Maranello or Sant’Agata-Bolognese- will make this car a dream come true for the passionate top class drivers.The engine is a 4.2 litre V8 supercharger, which will bring ecstasy with its 530 Bavarian horsepower, which means 110 HP difference from the serial model. 3.9 seconds is how much it takes the Abt to get from 0 to 100 km/h, being able to reach a top speed of 317 Km/h.As mandatory as the expectations of the driver are, they can certainly be fulfilled by the adjustable in height, pressure and rebound means of suspension.

Lamborghini Alar 777

2007-09-13T03:58:00.002-07:00

To everybody’s surprise, the newest Lamborghini comes from Argentina. ALAR is the name and it has as base the old version of Diablo V12. The official distributor of the Lamborghini brand in Argentina could create his own line of models, using the Italian brand. Apparently an Argentinean by the name of Joan Ferci has somehow acquired exclusive rights to build custom Lamborghinis that retain the Italian marque’s historic name and feature an official badge of the raging bull on the front end.
He’s created a pair of models in the past called the Coatl and the Eros GT-1, both based off of the Diablo. The Alar 777 will be the third model produced off of the Diablo platform and debut on March 30th in Buenos Aires. The car will produce over 700 horsepower from the Diablo’s V12 motor and reached a claimed top speed of 223 mph.Lamborghini Alar 777 does not seem to be among the favorites of the specialists… with too much posing and too extreme, it represents the old Lamborghini style, the old school, by all means.
Indeed, the car seems to looks like something we would get from Too Fast Too Furious or perhaps Need For Speed Underground, which may seem to the Loyal Lamborghini fans a little less appealing. But thinking at the fact that we are talking about the Diablo V12 motor, we can still state that this is still a pretty cool car after all…

Volkswagen Golf GTI W12 650hp Concept

2007-09-12T02:36:00.002-07:00

A new version of Golf GTI was released,it was a surprise because is not an usual Golf Gti.The car is powered by a W12 engine making 650 horsepower,right now the supercar is just a concept,but in the future…
. New features ? Check these out: a W12 Cylinders Engine, 477 kW at 6000 rmp and a magnificent design. What can you ask for more ? With so much power this GTI forwards in the top of the greatest cars. With the 6.0 liter bi-turbo engine the driver can reach beyond the 300 km/h barrier. More exactly the maximum speed of the Golf GTI W12 – 650 PS is 325 km/h. As for the body design, the engineers wanted to make it look like a race car. The Golf is equipped with 19-inch format tires, in the front with 235 model, while in the back it has 295 model. It is 1.88 meters width and 1.42 meters height. The designers said that they want to make it look a little with a coupe so they changed the body kit. Now, Golf 650 PS has the chassis with 80 mm wider in both sides, and the tires are moved with 80 mm to the exterior. This is another feature that makes the 650 PS a sport car. The roof of this car is built from a carbon-fiber material, looking very good and helps achieving more road grip, as the race cars. In the rear you can notice the two tailpipes, made out of chrome. The interior is again, race car style. The seats are covered in leather, the interior is equipped with a fire extinguisher and the driver panel includes the “flip-up switch covers”, as in a race car. The door trims were modified for weight reasons. The car still has many GTI characters and really looks like a GTI, only “upgraded”. They thought about every detail when designed this car.

Superb AC Schnitzer S3 Cabrio

2007-09-11T03:19:00.002-07:00

Yet again the BMW group amazes us with a new superb model, only now, in partnership with AC Schnitzer. The new AC Schnitzer S3 Cabrio, an “upgrade” to BMW 3 Series Cabrio is a 5 stars Convertible. The new bodykit was realized by the AC Schnitzer designers. They said that the design should have a more natural form. And if we take a look at the AC Schnitzer S3 Cabrio, we can say that their mission succeeded. The rear view of the Convertible is the classic 3-Series, but the side and the front skirts reflect the special AC Schnitzer design. The bodykit creates an aerodynamic car illusion and enhances the sporting design. The interior of the car is equipped with many high quality accessories. Some of these accessories that deserves to be mentioned are the AC Schnitzer Speedometer, where the maximum value that is shown is 300 km/h, the carbon steering wheel trim in silver Exclusive and the aluminum pedals. All these combined create an exquisite athmosphere. The car is equipped with AC Schnitzer racing rims. The rear rims are 10″ and the front ones are 9″, the suspension system is based also on racing technology, therefore almost transforming this model into a racing car. AC Schnitzer S3 Cabrio has a diesel engine that provides 265 HP. Originally it was a standard 231 HP diesel engine , but AC Schnitzer developed a power pack so now the engine provides 265 HP. Another engine for this Cabrio is in developing, that will provide 306 HP. For that one we will have to wait , won’t we ?

The Lightning GT Super Car

2007-09-10T08:02:00.002-07:00

A new super car is born.The Lightning GT,developed by Lightning Car Company, is a 100% electric car. The engine is electric, of course, and generates 700 BHP. The top speed for this super car is more than 200 kmh. For an electric engine this car is very powerfull. The battery system, designed by NanoSafe, is the heart of the power. it’s new, it’s great, and it’s spelled “POWER”. The battery recharges very fast, for at least 250 miles only 10 minutes of recharging would be needed. The Lightning GT has another cool feature. Every time the car brakes or slows down, the kinetic energy is transformed into heat and forwarded to the battery as electricity. It self regenerates. For the bodywork, the UK designers used Carbon fibre,aluminium and Kevlar technology.The interior is a luxury one. It has incorporated Satellite navigation, an Ipod interface and a virtual engine sound. Of course , it has only two seats, so it’s tagged as a sport car. I don’t know … the bodykit is simillar somehow with the Dodge Viper. Especially the front of the car. Anyway, it’s truly a super car. And this time it’s not made by the germans. The british company “wins terrain” in the super car battlefield.Though the engine is powerfull, a small glitch is this : it accelerates rather slow. From 0 to 60 kmh in almost 4 seconds. But we can overpass that. The other features of the engine saves it’s reputation : total weather proofing,several levels of redundancy and a total energy transfer. These make it a super engine. The price for this super car is not yet set, because the Lightning GT will be launched on the market just before the end of 2008. Until then, let’s hope the UK will bring on the market a few more sport cars .

Mummy of girl sacrificed by Incans prompts gasps

2007-09-08T08:40:00.000-07:00

SALTA, Argentina - Museum-goers gasped at the well-preserved mummy of an Inca maiden that is on display for the first time, a serene gaze etched on her face hundreds of years ago when she was sacrificed and froze to death in the Andes.

Hundreds of people packed a museum in Salta, Argentina, to see "la Doncella" -- Spanish for "the Maiden" -- a 15-year-old girl whose remains were found in 1999 in an icy pit on Llullaillaco volcano, along with a 6-year-old girl and a 7-year-old boy.

Scientists believe the so-called Children of Llullaillaco were sacrificed more than 500 years ago in a ceremony marking the annual corn harvest. Dressed in fine clothes and given corn alcohol to put them to sleep, the victims were then left to die at an elevation of 22,080 feet.

"Just this morning we have had more than 700 people come see the exhibit, and we had hundreds yesterday when it opened," said High Mountain Archaeological Museum director Gabriel Miremont said on Thursday.

The mummy is kept in a chamber that pumps chilled air through a low-oxygen atmosphere, simulating the subfreezing conditions where it was found. The other two children are being studied and not on display.

Seated with her legs bent and her arms resting on her stomach, the Maiden's remains are still adorned with a gray shawl and bone and metal ornaments. Scientists say her face was daubed with red pigment and around her mouth they found flecks of coca leaf, which is chewed by highland Indians to blunt the effects of altitude.

The Children of Llullaillaco were found at the highest elevation ever discovered for sacrificial victims of the former Inca empire, which ran along the Andes from present-day northern Argetina to Peru.

Several Indian groups waged a losing campaign to prevent the remains from going on display, arguing that the mummies should be buried or at least kept from public view.

The exhibit is a "great mistake," said Miguel Suarez, a representative of the Calchaquies valley tribes in and around Salta.

China denies hacking into Pentagon

2007-09-05T04:11:00.000-07:00

BEIJING- The Chinese government called allegations that its military hacked the Pentagon's computer network over the summer "groundless", the state-run Xinhua news agency reported late Tuesday.
The Chinese government has always opposed any Internet-wrecking crime, including hacking, and cracked down on it according to the law," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters.

"Officially, the United States has not accused Beijing of cracking into the military e-mail system that serves Defense Secretary Robert Gates and hundreds of other department employees.

But, behind the scenes, a senior Bush administration official told CNN that China is the No. 1 suspect in the June hacking incident. On Monday, the Financial Times of London also reported that Washington believed China was responsible.

"Some people are making wild accusations against China and wantonly saying the Chinese military attacked the Pentagon's computer network," Jiang said. "These are totally groundless and also reflect a Cold War mentality."

She called hacking an international problem and said that China has also been attacked.

"China would like to work with other countries to take measures to crack down on Web crime," according to Jiang.

In Australia ahead of the APEC summit, reporters asked President Bush on Wednesday if he would bring up the issue of hackers with Chinese President Hu Jintao when the two leaders meet Thursday.

"I'm very aware that a lot of our systems are vulnerable to cyber attack from a variety of places," Bush said at a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister John Howard.

"In terms of whether or not I'll bring this up to countries that we suspect may -- from which there may have been an attack, I may."

The cyber attack led the Pentagon to shut down its unclassified e-mail for nearly three weeks. U.S. government sources said the unclassified e-mail system is not connected to other e-mail networks that contain sensitive military secrets.

Pentagon officials said none of their operations were disrupted.

At the time of the attack, Gates never mentioned China.

"The reality is that the Defense Department is constantly under attack," he said. "Elements of the OSD [Office of the Secretary of Defense] unclassified e-mail system were taken off-line ... due to a detected penetration."

The Pentagon does suspect the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) of operating secret cells of computer hackers, although not officially pointing a finger at Beijing in this instance.

In its annual report on the Chinese military earlier this year, the Defense Department confirmed the likely existence of such units: "The PLA has established information warfare units to develop viruses to attack enemy computer systems and networks."

On Wednesday, The Guardian newspaper in London reported that Chinese hackers launched online assaults against the network at Britain's Parliament and the Foreign Office, according to the Associated Press.

AP further reports that on the eve of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's visit to Beijing last week, the weekly Der Spiegel said computers at the Chancellery and three ministries had been infected with so-called Trojans, or spy programs.

Bush discusses Iraq, China military

2007-08-31T01:04:00.000-07:00

SYDNEY, Australia - U.S. President George W. Bush said in an interview broadcast Friday that he would be concerned about China's military if the country ever turned hostile, and he urged U.S. allies to complete the work still left in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Speaking to Australia's Sky News network in Washington ahead of a visit to Australia an annual meeting of Pacific Rim leaders, Bush said he believed China's biggest issue was keeping it's economy growing.

"My view of China is that they're internally focused to the extent that they want economic growth and vitality, they're externally focused in order to get the raw materials they need. But if they ever turn hostile, I would be concerned about the military," Bush said.

He said that his administration spends "a lot of time on China" and that Washington had good relations with both China and Japan, two traditional rivals in Asia.

He said it was important for the United States to be an "active presence in Asia to make sure that old tensions don't flare up."

Bush also urged countries considering pulling out troops to base their decisions on restoring the country's security, saying the U.S. needs "all our coalition partners" in Iraq.

"I understand that everybody has got their own internal politics. My only point is that whether it be Afghanistan or Iraq, we've got more work to do. We, the free world, have got more work to do."

Australia has about 1,600 troops in and around Iraq, 550 of them in combat roles. The timing and circumstances of the troops' withdrawal is a political issue in Australia, as it heads toward national elections due by early next year.

Labor opposition leader Kevin Rudd, who opinion polls suggest is headed for victory in the elections, has pledged to set a timetable for withdrawing Australian combat troops from Iraq. Prime Minister John Howard has refused to set a timetable.

Bush said in the interview he would meet Rudd during his visit to Australia next week and that he would be glad to explain to Rudd why he believed victory in Iraq was important.

"What I ask if he were to win (the election) is that he consider the conditions on the ground before making decisions," Bush said. "What matters is success, and I believe we can be successful."

"My attitude is, coalition partners ought to be making decisions based upon conditions on the ground, because failure in Iraq would lead to, in my view, turmoil, chaos in the Middle East and other attacks on the United States and other nations," Bush said.

Bush said he did not want to take sides in Australia's upcoming elections, and said U.S.-Australia relations were strong regardless of who were the leaders of each country.

He said he looked forward to meeting Rudd in Sydney and offered high praise to Howard, who has been a staunch ally of Bush in Washington's war on terror.

Howard "no doubt about it, is a close personal friend of mine," Bush said. "He is a man of steel because he is a person who stands on conviction and principle."

Taliban to release Korean hostages

2007-08-28T05:46:00.000-07:00

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korean negotiators in Afghanistan have reached a deal with Taliban militants holding 19 South Korean Christian aid workers for over a month, a presidential spokesman in Seoul said Tuesday.

Seoul welcomes the deal, but spokesman Cheon Ho-sun cautioned that many details must still be worked out and the aid workers will not be released immediately.

Under the terms of the agreement, South Korea agreed to stick by its previous decision to withdraw its 200 non-combat troops from Afghanistan, which work mostly in an engineering and medical capacity.

In addition, Seoul will halt all Christian missionary work in Afghanistan.

The spokesman said there was no agreement to pay the captors, nor was there any mention of releasing Taliban prisoners -- a major demand of the kidnappers.

Taliban spokesman Qari Yousef Ahmadi said delegates from South Korea and the Taliban had "reached an agreement" to free the captives in face-to-face talks Tuesday in the central town of Ghazni.

Twenty-three hostages, all church volunteers, were seized July 19 by the Taliban militant group while they were traveling on a bus in Afghanistan. Two were executed and two others were freed, leaving 19 still in captivity.

While South Korean missionaries have been active in the region, the hostage group's church has said the kidnapped group's trip to Afghanistan did not involve Christian missionary work.

The kidnapping of government officials or foreign aid workers has been used increasingly by insurgents in a bid to destabilize the Western-backed government that took power after the defeat of the Taliban in 2001.

Violence in Afghanistan is running at its highest level since the Taliban were expelled from government nearly six years ago.

A suicide bomber in eastern Afghanistan killed three NATO soldiers and wounded six others on Tuesday as they were working on a bridge project, according to a news release from NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

As a matter of ISAF's policy, the soldiers' nationalities were not released. The suicide bomber approached the soldiers and "self-detonated, instantly killing himself and two nearby soldiers," ISAF said.

The third soldier died en route to an ISAF medical facility.

"Our thoughts during this very difficult time are with the friends, family and colleagues of the soldiers who were killed in this incident," said ISAF spokesman Maj. Charles Anthony.

On Monday, three coalition service members and two Afghan soldiers were killed in an ambush in Kunar province, also in eastern Afghanistan, the U.S.-led coalition said. Three coalition and seven Afghan soldiers were wounded.

The nationalities of the slain service members in this incident also were not supplied. U.S. troops have a strong presence in the eastern part of the country.

Near the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, Afghan and coalition forces on Tuesday killed two Taliban militants and detained five others. The operation occurred southwest of the city, the U.S.-led coalition said.

A monster truck performing stunts in front of an auto parts store plowed into a crowd of spectators Thursday, injuring at least nine people, officials

2007-08-10T10:02:00.000-07:00

Two people, including a mother and one child, were in serious condition at area hospitals, officials said.

Six others, including a mother and her four children, were treated and released, said Sharon Emanuelson, a spokeswoman for Kishwaukee Community Hospital in DeKalb. The other person injured was in good condition.

Another person refused medical treatment, said DeKalb Fire Chief Lanny Russell.

The demonstration, part of a monster truck tour sponsored by NAPA Auto Parts, featured the truck driving over and crushing four cars.

"After its third or fourth attempt of rolling over the cars, and getting back down to the street, it appeared to have lost control and at that point careened off to the left into part of the crowd that was watching the event," said City Manager Mark Biernacki.

After plowing through the crowd about 2 p.m., the truck went through a fence and stopped on railroad tracks, Biernacki said.

Witness Patrick Sheridan, 16, said NAPA staff members had asked observers to stand back from the road after the truck's first few passes.

"I watched the guy go over two or three times getting some air and one time he went up and he came really close to hitting people," Sheridan said, adding that the truck appeared to come within just three feet of bystanders.

The final pass "was like a full-out jump because he, like, floored it and it just went up and landed on the back tires and kept going," Sheridan said.

"It sounded like he couldn't get the gas off and like it kept going and going and going," he said.

The 44-year-old truck driver did not appear to be injured, Biernacki said.

"There was just this sound of steel crunching," DeKalb resident James Vesely told The Daily Chronicle of DeKalb. "I ran over to see if it hit anybody's car, and I saw a woman and a little girl around 3 years old lying on the ground with dirt on them."

Jerry Nix, a spokesman for NAPA's parent company, Genuine Parts Co., said he could not comment. A message left at the auto parts store near the accident site after business hours was not immediately returned.

The city of DeKalb gave the store permission to close the street for the demonstration, Russell said. DeKalb police would not immediately comment.

The manager of a bicycle shop on the block where the accident happened said he didn't see the incident but saw the truck performing stunts beforehand, and estimated at least 100 people were watching.

"It looked very precarious," said Tobie DePauw, manager of North Central Cyclery.

Nokia Shows 6500 Slide with 3.2MP AF Camera

2007-08-08T05:33:00.000-07:00

Nokia has reaffirmed its leadership in driving the benefits of third generation technology to the mid-range market with the announcement of new handset, the Nokia 6500 slide. Designed to be precisely balanced in the hand, with large keys and ergonomically correct dimensions and surfaces,this phone have been created with maximum usability in mind.
Along with third generation WCDMA technology and sleek, contemporary designs, these new devices feature carefully engineered touches that help to ensure that the beauty endures.
"Nokia is a recognized trailblazer of the 3G revolution and a pioneer in the use of new and innovative materials for mobile phones. With the Nokia 6500 slide, Nokia is skillfully combining these areas of expertise to deliver a compelling blend of design and technology at a mid-range price point," said Peter Ropke, Senior Vice President, Broad Appeal Business Unit, Nokia. "While features like the aluminum "loop" structure of the Nokia 6500 classic or the Carl Zeiss optics found in the Nokia 6500 slide separate these devices from the pack, it is the skillful balance of features and style that will make them irresistible to customers."
Nokia 6500 slide
Featuring an enthusiast-quality 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and the ability to easily share pictures, videos and even video calls on a television, the Nokia 6500 slide brings unsurpassed levels of imaging and sharing to the mid-range market. Additionally, the Nokia 6500 slide delivers a refined tactile experience with its elegant brushed stainless steel finish and smooth slide mechanism.
The 3.2 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics found in the Nokia 6500 slide marks the first time that mid-range camera phone consumers have been able to experience the outstanding imaging capability of Carl Zeiss optics. The addition of autofocus, a dual LED flash and 8x digital zoom optimizes the Nokia 6500 slide for creating high-caliber images. Using the speed of 3G technology, these images and videos can be quickly shared with friends around the world, while the TV-out jack allows them to be instantly viewed on any television with standard RCA inputs. The TV-out feature can also be used to allow an entire group of people to simultaneously enjoy the fun of video calling.
Fashioned to stand apart from the crowd, the Nokia 6500 slide incorporates a number of design elements not often found in a mid-range device. Ensuring that the sophisticated brushed stainless steel body retains its timeless beauty, a unique hard coating helps to prevent scuffs, scratches, and even fingerprints. Precision engineering of the slide mechanism means that the Nokia 6500 slide feels solid in the hand, yet moves with a smooth, fluid action to create a decidedly upscale user impression.
The Nokia 6500 slide is expected to be available during the 3rd quarter of 2007 at an estimated retail price of 370 before taxes and subsidies.

Holocaust Survivors Protest $20 Stipends

2007-08-06T03:17:00.000-07:00

Angry Holocaust Survivors Protest Israeli Government's Offer of $20 Stipends

Israelis march during a demonstration next to the Knesset, Israel's Parliament in Jerusalem, Sunday, Aug. 5, 2007. Holocaust survivors and advocates marched in front of the Israeli Parliament building Sunday, calling on the government to increase stipends for the state's 240,000 Holocaust survivors, many of whom suffer from economic and health problems. Hebrew signs read "Holocaust and Shame".

Holocaust survivors in Israel demanded Sunday that the Jewish state raise what they consider a laughable new offer of $20 monthly stipends.

At least 500 of the elderly survivors and supporters rallied outside parliament, carrying placards and wearing stickers reading "The Holocaust is still here" and "Forgive us for surviving."

"The government of Israel has not recognized us. We don't belong to them," said Josef Charney, 82, who survived the Treblinka death camp.

Six decades after World War II and the Nazi killings of 6 million Jews, about 240,000 Holocaust survivors live in Israel. Many have long complained that Israel does not do enough to support them, and that they lack money for basics, sometimes even food. Some have said European countries treat them far better.

Last week, the government announced $28 million in new stipends for 120,000 needy survivors about half of them now in Israel. That works out to just 83 shekels or $20 a month for each survivor.

Existing Holocaust survivor benefits are calculated by complex regulations depending on country of origin, where claimants were during the war, when they arrived in Israel, whether they received German government reparations and other criteria. The benefits come on top of state pensions and government health care available to all elderly Israelis.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said the $20 supplement was a stopgap while the needs of the survivors are carefully analyzed, but many have deemed the measure an insult.

"We don't think that 83 shekels a month is enough," said Gal Rotem of the Holocaust Survivors' Welfare Fund, which helped organize the march. "You can't buy food or drugs or anything else with 83 shekels."

She noted the group was not growing, saying an average of 35 survivors die each day in Israel.

At Sunday's weekly Cabinet meeting, Olmert said the issue was "sensitive and painful" and acknowledged that previous governments had failed to address it. He said he would meet Wednesday with survivors' groups and government ministries to find the "best, fairest and most just solution," according to a statement from his office.

Nokia N73

2007-08-05T01:23:00.000-07:00

Release Date:

Q3 2006

The Nokia N73 offers a multimedia computer in a compact and savvy exterior with photography features and integrated stereo speakers with 3D sound. In addition to a large 2.4-inch display, the N73 includes a 3.2-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus and support for Internet communities like Flickr. Music fans can tap into the N73's integrated digital music player with playlists and equalizer or tune into the FM radio. Available in 3G or quad-band EDGE/GSM networks, the N73 has all the diversity of a powerful multimedia computer enabled with the S60 3rd Edition Software on Symbian OS.

Nokia N73 Features

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Integrated 3.2-megapixel CMOS camera with autofocus and digital zoom up to 20x
Digital music player supports Visual Radio and various audio formats with playlists and equalizer controls
Bundled PIM (Personal Information Management) features including Anti-virus software, Yahoo! Go, and Email client with attachments and mobile VPN support
Nokia PC Suite connectivity with USB, Infrared and Bluetooth wireless technology
Nokia N73
Reviewer: sinleong on Mon Oct 30, 2006

Ahem.. Guess I'm the first to review this phone.. I'll go as detailed as possible and I'm sure a lot of you guys have read the reviews over the internet. Here goes..

1. Imaging
Maybe it was my opinion but Nokia N73 have the best still image capture in the Nseries and probably in the Nokia family..(Not really know how N95 quality is). With 3.2 Mega pixel Carl Zeiss Optics, You can assure that you get the best quality for still image. With 8 settings on its camera, you can snap pictures according to the situation. E.g Sports for quick snap, Landscape for sceneries and etc. You can also found all the functions normally available in the camera or N70 except for anti-shaking functions of course. on the video mode, you can choose 3 options, from 3GPto MPEG4. unfortunately, the video quality is below average. N70's video mode is cleare and sharper than N73. Perhaps Nokia doesn't want it to compete with N93, which I heard its still image is poorer compared to N73. A dedicated key for user to view the pictures and also allows you to send pictures to friends and family via Bluetooth, Infrared, MMS or even Email and web upload, thanks to partnership with Flickr.com

2. Sound
The N73 comes with 2 dedicated speaker on top of the phone, although I can still hear the music coming out from the dedicated speaker below the phone. Music is clear and sound is good quality. But if you compared with K800i, you have SE as winner. With preset equalizer, you can also create your own equaliser according to your desire. Supports eAAC, AAC, MP3 and WMA, you can create your own MP3 ringing tone and download in.

3. Software
Bear in mind N73 is a multimedia phone. In other words, this phone is pack with various softwares. F-Secure is an anti-virus for scanning your phone, memory card and also detect internet viruses. N73 is preloaded with Web browser for mobile internet and normal internet. A program called Search is where you get to search the image and web using Yahoo or Windows Live. The best part is that you can choose the country accordingly and you can even view the map of the country as well. Close to GPS satellite but kinda limited to certain countries. another program worth check out is the 3D tonez. You can set the ringing tone to be set as 3D surround sound, trajectory and reverberation. Other software include IM, tutorial, help, Visual Radio, Flash Player etc.

4. Performance
N73 is a powerful tool for business. Equipped with Symbian S60, you can say its an upgrade version of N70. Programs are load much faster compared to N70. The battery life is 3 days on normal use. Twice compared to Motorola RAZR V3x.

5. Negative feedback.
There are no phone in this world that is 100% excellent, N73 wasn't spared from my criticism. Camera loading is far slower than its rivals. I compared with K800i and found that N73 requires twice the time to be ready to shoot than K800i. Sometimes you might have the feeling that it freeze. A lot of website and user complain that this phone hangs and freeze. I experience this problem and not once.. Its been almost 2 months since I own this phone and the number of times it freezes are uncountable.. Sometimes I have to take out the battery when it freeze. Fortunately, The freeze was not so serious as some user report but be prepared because this phone packs tonnes of multimedia software, you can't blame it freeze. As earlier I mentioned that the programs load faster.. BUT also sometimes load slower. Compared with K800i, you may find you finish sent a sms while a K800i user already sent and snap photos. One thing I couldn't understand are why Nokia don't allow wallpaper to be full screen and there are no screensaver..

Overall.
If you ask me K800i and N73, which is better? Well, I tried K800i and found it very fast and ser friendly. Unfortunately, few software support hinders the glory of K800i, perhaps that you need to sacrifice for a fast phone. Regards the image quality, I can't really tell who is the winner. Auto shot, N73 is rich with colour and crisp. K800i is so sharp at close range. N73 claim have better shot at night, K800i have the best flash. For me, I prefer N73 because of office tools. K800i is too 'basic' for me.

Nokia N95 Review

2007-08-03T02:13:00.000-07:00

No, it wasn't the Wi-Fi, the excellent browser, or even the 5 megapixel camera that wowed me. It wasn't the FM tuner, the Symbian operating system, or the media player accompanied by Nokia's media controller accessory. It was the TV-Out feature that made me think that this "phone" changed the game.

Nokia calls the N95 a multimedia computer; I call it a lifestyle accessory. And more so than devices such as Treos and BlackBerries, the N95 could be the start of manufacturers understanding what people want to do, and putting it in a package that looks good in the office, as well as out on the town.

The N95 is just that cool. I was left with that impression when I first saw it at CES back in January, so I jumped when I was asked to review the device.

The N95 is the flagship multimedia computer/smartphone device by Nokia. Offering a drool-worthy list of features, it's designed to do a lot in an extremely pocketable package.

And, at the same time, the Symbian OS and accompanying PC Suite software tend to give a soft edge to the cutting edge features found within the N95.

In my time with this device, I battled with it as a smartphone, and marveled at it as a regular phone. I "found" reasons to use the camera and Wi-Fi; and saw the reactions from others around me who gave reasons why such a device is both good and bad.

But when all was said and done with the N95, I gathered a level of respect for Nokia that I had not had before. And even more than that, I figured out what I need in my own personal computing device.

Is It a Phone?

Normally, when doing reviews of smartphones I like to take the perspective that some people are going to use it more as a phone in some situations, and more like a PDA in others. The N95 slightly changes that methodology for me, for reasons that will become clear as this review continues.

A quick glance at the specifications section at the end of this review shows that this is a world-class phone. About the only thing that it doesn't have is the American flavor of HSDPA/UMTS. And even without it, the N95 performs just fine with the EDGE networks in the places where I tested it: the DC Metro and Charlotte (NC) Metro areas.

Voice quality was superb. People told me that I sounded very clear and that there was little to no echoing that could be heard. I noticed that voices sounded clear (albeit a bit high in tonal quality). The only nag when not using the headset was the whine from the LCD panel (similar to that which some Palm Treo 650 users have said happens with their devices). It was noticeable, but not annoying. The included stereo headset was good enough for some casual conversations, but picked up too much background noise. While working with my Jawbone Bluetooth headset however, conversations were nice and clear.

In contrast to the Treo 680 (which is my daily phone), the N95 has a standard numeric keypad. The keys are spaced nicely and feel excellent to the touch. However the top level of keys is too close to the top of the slider and therefore can be difficult for some who might have large fingers. Dialing and texting is handled by either repeated taps or by using T9 input.

Above the keys, the most prominent buttons when the slider is closed are the D-pad and command buttons. The arrangement of the buttons are fine for all except the most demanding of tasks (games, and sometimes web browsing).

The D-pad has excellent feel, but the menu and application buttons that flank it on the left and right sides are too close for such a small directional pad.

Surrounding these are action buttons on the top left and right (corresponding to on-screen menus); call and end buttons on the bottom left and right; and edit (the pencil) and clear keys for text operations. Only the top action buttons were an issue, and normally only when unlocking the keypad (as there is a sequence of left then right button to do so).

As a phone the N95 is just solid. It does nothing spectacular, but just does the job well. Granted, battery life could be better when continually paired to my Bluetooth headset, but it gets through a good day so that is not a major issue. I am used to the threaded SMS on the Treo models, and the screen space in the SMS app seems wasted without it. But other than that getting a handle on T9 is just fine. Is it a super phone? No, not really. But, is it a capable one? Yes, and one that can do a whole to more once you slide things the other way.

Is it a smartphone?

The N95 has this really cool feature where if you slide the display to the top, you get the number pad and can treat it like a normal phone. But, if you slide the display down, you will see the music buttons, the display turns to landscape and the fun begins.

The display changes from the standard Nokia Active Standby front end (a Today-type screen in the Windows Mobile mold) to a slick interface giving access to several applications and features of the N95.

Music Player: Just a standard music player. It is easily controllable by the slide-out buttons, or you can use the directional pad and other front-side buttons to control the music playing action.

Getting album art to work is a bit on the difficult side for someone who is not used to digging into the file system and moving things around, but it can be fixed.

The Music Player works well in the background while doing other applications, but because of the limited RAM of the N95 (less than 20 MB on startup), browsing or viewing a ton of photos and videos can stop the party relatively quickly.

SanDisk has noted on its web site that its 4 GB micro-SDHC card is compatable with this smartphone. While I haven't been personally able to verify this on my N95, something from Nokia officially stating this would be advantageous to its billing of the N95 as a multimedia computer.

Gallery: One of the more pleasant user interfaces for a photo gallery that I have seen on a mobile device. The Gallery program lists all of the photos and videos that can be found in internal memory and on a memory card.

You have the option of viewing the small thumbnails, or clicking through each one individually. Only with the largest pictures was there any lag, and even then it was just two or three seconds.

Messaging: A bit of a can-do-everything kind of application. It handles SMS and MMS message, and can also be configured to grab your email from a POP or IMAP account.

The problem with this application isn't the application (though threaded SMS would greatly help), it is the input methods. If you're just doing a short text, T9 is great. It's when you have the N95 syncing email that it becomes an issue that's hard to overcome. Granted, I can't see Nokia daring to add a QWERTY keyboard to the N95's form factor, but if it did, this would be an ideal messaging device.

Personal Information Management: Contacts, calendar, and other PIM functions were handled by applications that are bundled with the Symbian OS and Nokia's S60 user interface.. Despite my unfamiliarity with the Symbian OS, I found navigating through the phone book quite easy. Still, I did find myself wishing that I had a touchscreen so that I could get back and forth a bit easier on some of the menu and calendar items.

Nokia Web Browser: This is a fine bit of software here. Web sites rendered just fine unless I was using GPRS (for some reason using AT&T GPRS sent me through a proxy that made the images distorted).

Despite the N95 not supporting the U.S.'s version of UMTS/HSDPA, downloading apps, music and web pages were done quickly and without much lag.

About the only thing that I would wish were able to be adjusted is the option of viewing the handheld version of some sites. Some web sites that are mobile friendly are much more usable on the N95 than their desktop counterparts.

GPS: I had a bit of trouble with the GPS initially, but after a firmware update things seems to settle in. GPS was a cinch to setup and was generally quite accurate (within a block or so when in the middle of DC).

I liked that you could browse the maps that came with this smartphone, but if you wanted more features that you would have to subscribe to Smart2Go. This is a mapping service that provides you with some more maps and points of interest comparable to standalone GPS units.

Battery life did suffer when using the GPS, but then again, if I was not in a car, I did not find that I needed it any.

Is It Something More?

Nokia bills the N95 not as a phone or smartphone, but as a multimedia computer. So can it really replace your computer, or at least come through in a pinch? Here are a few of the other applications and features of the N95 that make for an interesting case:

There is on-board video and picture editing software. No, not Photoshop good, but enough to make a quick movie and then upload it to a web site or home server.
TV-Out is an option with the included A/V cable. It is the same 3.5 mm port that is used to house the stereo headphones, and gives excellent quality on a variety of TV and projectors. Essentially, you could use all of the features of the N95 on your home computer and never miss a beat in taking a call.
The included QuickOffice office suite is not bad; but works well for editing non-complicated documents, spreadsheets, and presentations on the go. Upgrading to the latest version will cost some, but it offers better functionality.
While input options are limited to T9 and multi-tap, pairing a Bluetooth keyboard is quite simple and only requires that you have the S60 3rd edition driver for the N95.
The Symbian world does not boast the number of applications that the Windows Mobile and Garnet (Palm) OS worlds do, but there are sufficient applications to do everything from track your diet to be a personal media server.
Speaking of media server, the N95 can use wireless LAN/UPnP to connect to some of the latest media devices in your home and then stream from the N95, or to the N95 and then also control those home devices.

With all of those features, you could gather that the N95 is possibly a really well designed smartphone. Well, it's not really a smartphone. You see, smartphones are most definitely communicators first, and phones (and everything else second). The N95 is certainly a phone first, and everything else a close second.

That and its input issues raise a flag to anyone looking at the N95 to replace a BlackBerry or Treo. It could -- and I think should -- replace any other mobile though, and it will do so quite well.

Conclusion

As you can probably tell, the N95 packs a whole lot into one heck of a nice package. Nokia even ran a few Web ads talking about how the N95 helps you reclaim your pockets, and how people did computing back in the 'old days.'

The N95 is truly a different kind of mobile device. One where there are literally no limits on how you can apply it. It does try to reach too far for some people, and yet, because it can, the N95 is a niche device of its own.

If the battery life were a touch better, and the user interface were a bit more refined, I could see this being an even better device than what it is now. But, even as it is, there is no under-stating the fact that the N95 is the best mobile device out there right now. Whether you want to call it a phone, smartphone, or multimedia computer, though, depends on how you will take advantage of its abilities.

Disney reports higher third-quarter profit

2007-08-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

-- Walt Disney Co., the No. 2 U.S. entertainment company, reported a higher net profit Wednesday, driven by strong performances at its television network, parks and consumer products businesses.

Disney, which runs broadcast, movie entertainment, theme parks and consumer products businesses, said its fiscal third quarter net income from continuing operations rose to $1.2 billion, or 58 cents per share from $1.1 billion, or 51 cents per share a year earlier.

Revenue rose 7 percent to $9.045 billion, from $8.47 billion a year ago.

During the quarter, Disney released the hit films "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Ratatouille," finalized the sale of its ABC radio stations, and concluded a probe into backdated stock options at its Pixar Animation Studio.

Disney (Charts, Fortune 500) shares traded between $36.55 and $33.40 during its fiscal third quarter, at a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.8 times estimated fiscal 2008 earnings. Shares of Time Warner Inc. traded at 16.5 times estimated 2008 earnings, and Viacom Inctraded at a multiple of 14.7

Nike Reaches $7.6 Million Settlement In Race-Discrimination Suit

2007-07-30T23:10:00.000-07:00

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP)--Nike Inc. (NKE) has reached a $7.6 million settlement in a class-action race-discrimination lawsuit filed on behalf of 400 black employees of the company's Chicago Niketown store, the company said Monday.

The lawsuit, filed in 2003, claimed managers at the retail store used racial slurs to refer to black workers and customers. They also said the store segregated black employees into lower-paying jobs as stockroom workers and cashiers rather than giving them lucrative sales jobs. And they alleged managers made unfounded accusations of theft against black workers and directed store security to monitor black employees and customers because of their race.

Nike has denied the allegations.

Under terms of the agreement, Nike Retail Services will pay $7.6 million to the current and former employees to resolve the claims. The lawsuit covers black employees who worked at the store from 1999 until now.

Nike also must make a host of other changes to address diversity, such as appointing a diversity consultant to monitor the Chicago store's compliance and a compliance officer at Nike's headquarters in Beaverton. The company must also add an ombudsperson at the store and conduct diversity training for all supervisors and managers there.

Nike also is required to review its human resources practice, create equal opportunity objectives for the store and review its theft-loss policies. It also will create a formal mentoring program for black employees.

The company and the attorney for the plaintiffs declined to comment further on the case.

iPhone Battery Lawsuit: What Did Steve Jobs Say, and When Did He Say It?

2007-07-29T02:43:00.000-07:00

The lawsuit filed against Apple (AAPL) and AT&T (T) by a user named Jose Trujillo has generated a lot of heated discussion here and elsewhere, much of it aimed at lawyers and their litigious clients.

Leaving aside the lawyer jokes (we've heard 'em all), there seems to be some confusion about the facts of the case, which centers on whether or not Apple informed purchasers ahead of time that the iPhone's battery was sealed and would need to be professionally replaced after a fixed number of charges -- leaving the owner without a cell phone in the interim.

The complaint claims that this information did not appear in the product's packaging and never came up in Apple's promotion or marketing of the device. A group called the Foundation for Consumer and Taxpayer Rights made a similar complaint about a week after the iPhone went on sale.

At the risk of being called as a witness in the trial, this is what I've learned about what Steve Jobs and Apple said about the battery issue and when they said it:

At the MacWorld keynote in which he introduced the iPhone, Jobs gave specs on battery life but did not volunteer the information that it wasn't user replaceable. Neither does Apple's Jan. 9 iPhone press release.

In subsequent press coverage, the news eventually leaked out, perhaps most memorably in John Dvorak's famous iPhone podcast, in which he quotes an unnamed Cingular (AT&T) executive complaining about the "amateur mistake" Apple made in not having a removable battery.

But the issue here is what Apple said or didn't say, not what the press surmised.

On June 18, Apple issued another press release:

CUPERTINO, California—June 18, 2007—Apple® today announced that iPhone™ will deliver significantly longer battery life when it ships on June 29 than was originally estimated when iPhone was unveiled in January. iPhone will feature up to 8 hours of talk time, 6 hours of Internet use, 7 hours of video playback or 24 hours of audio playback.*

Nothing about battery replacement.

On June 29, the iPhone was released and sold like hot cakes.

On July 2, Glenn Fleishmann on TidBits posted an item complaining that Apple had not yet provided details about the cost of replacing the battery . A week later, he posted a corrective:

...in fact, those were apparently available for at least a day on the Apple Store's ordering page for the iPhone (click the Warranty button in the bottom right). Other repair information appears to have shown up on or around 02-Jul-07.

Among the information Fleishmann says showed up "on or around July 2" is Apple's "iPhone Service FAQ." That file contains this paragraph:

My iPhone warranty has expired. What are my service options?

Apple offers two service options for iPhones that are no longer within warranty. If your iPhone requires service only because the battery’s ability to hold an electrical charge has diminished, Apple will replace your battery for a service fee of $79, plus $6.95 shipping and handling.

The FAQ also describes Apple's $29 Apple Care Service Phone program, which provides a loaner cell phone for use during the three business days yours is off being repaired.

According to Trujillo's complaint, Apple spokesperson Jennifer Hakes confirmed that "Apple posted the battery replacement program details on its website after the iPhone went on sale."

On July 23 Apple posted its iPhone Battery page, describing the proper care and feeding of an iPhone battery. It contains this key paragraph:

Charge Cycles

A properly maintained iPhone battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 400 full charge and discharge cycles. You may choose to replace your battery when it no longer holds sufficient charge to meet your needs.

That "replace" link takes you to a page that tells you what it will cost for the service.

Does any of this justify a class action lawsuit or entitle Mr. Trujillo, his lawyers and the class of iPhone purchasers to damages? You be the judge.

For more on the battery issue, see Joe Nocera's column in the June 30 New York Times, which looks at it from pretty much every angle except the legal and gives Steve Dowling and others at Apple PR a couple of chances to say their piece. (Free subscription required.)

Crude reaches August 2006 high

2007-07-26T07:55:00.000-07:00

Oil up 87 cents after surging more than a dollar, driven by third consecutive decline in U.S. inventories.

LONDON (Reuters) -- Crude oil surged more than $1 to $77 on Thursday, its highest level in almost a year, on increasing demand from refiners in the world's top consumer.

The rally lifted U.S. crude above London Brent for the first time since February, restoring its traditional premium. Analysts and investors pointed to U.S. data released Wednesday that showed crude stocks fell for a third consecutive week.

"With imports staying around the current 10.4 million barrels per day and refinery runs expected to increase 150,000 to 250,000 bpd over the next two weeks, potentially larger draws for crude may be on the horizon," Lehman Brothers analysts said.

At 6:47 am ET, crude was up 87 cents at $76.76 a barrel, off a session peak of $77.24, the highest since Aug. 9, 2006. It had surged $2.32 on Wednesday.

London Brent crude was up 52 cents to $76.84. That put the North Sea grade at a discount to U.S. oil for the first time since late February.

"It's a return to normality," said Rob Laughlin at Man Financial, adding that U.S. oil's discount to Brent had been caused in part by refinery problems in the U.S. and he expected the U.S. crude to continue commanding a premium.

"The draw that we saw in some of the crude stocks are demonstrating that the refining position in the states is probably the best it has been for about three months in terms of the operating capacity."

Other analysts pointed to the emergency shutdown of most of Exxon Mobil Corp.'s (Charts, Fortune 500) 326,000 bpd Fawley refinery, which accounts for almost a fifth of Britain's refining capacity.

While bullish for gasoline and heating oil, the closure could be bearish for crude if the plant stops processing for a prolonged period.

Barclays Capital technical analysts, who study charts to determine future price direction, said $76.40 was a key level for U.S. oil, the high of the September contract.

"We are keeping a close eye on the $76.40, WTI high, as a close above would confirm a resumption of the larger uptrend, increasing the odds that prices will test the July 2006, all-time highs at 78.40," they said.

Nokia snaps up Twango

2007-07-24T04:09:00.000-07:00

Acquisition of photo-sharing site is part of No. 1 cellphone maker's strategy to broaden its multimedia offering; terms not disclosed.

HELSINKI (Reuters) -- Nokia, the world's top mobile phone maker, said Tuesday it would buy U.S.-based photo-sharing social networking site Twango, but did not disclose the price.

Twango was founded in 2004 but U.S. traffic data from measurement firms Hitwise and Quantcast and global data from Alexa.com show it has found little audience so far compared to sites such as Google (Charts, Fortune 500)-owned YouTube, PhotoBucket or Flickr.

Nokia (Charts) has increased its acquisitions under Chief Executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, who took over in June 2006. He has said the firm is looking to acquire more companies to strengthen its multimedia and corporate offering.

"The Twango acquisition is a concrete step towards our Internet services vision of providing seamless access to information, entertainment, and social networks," Anssi Vanjoki, head of Nokia's multimedia unit said in a statement.

"We have the most complete suite of connected multimedia experiences including music, navigation, games, and - with the Twango acquisition - photos, videos, and a variety of document types," he said.

Analysts see Internet social networks as a key element in the future of the media business. News Corp.'s (Charts, Fortune 500) 2005 acquisition of MySpace has boosted the value of Rupert Murdoch's media conglomerate as a whole.

Wal-Mart in price-cutting mode

2007-07-23T07:56:00.000-07:00

No. 1 discounter, battling gas price pressures and housing softness, cuts prices on 16,000 products ahead of back-to-school season.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As Wal-Mart continues to struggle with soft sales amid a housing slowdown and gas price pressures, the retailer announced Monday that it will cut prices further on 16,000 items this week to spur sales for the back-to-school shopping season.

Wal-Mart (Charts, Fortune 500), the world's largest retailer, said in a statement that it hopes to save families with children 10 to 50 percent on school-related merchandise through its new discounts.

Wal-Mart said its plans are based on this year's report from the National Retail Federation, which says families on average will spend $563.49 on school-related purchases for their kids.

As part of the new price rollbacks, Wal-Mart said it offer customers 4 wide ruled notebooks for $1, a 10-pack of No.#2 pencils for $2, 2-pack erasers and 10-pack Bic pens for $5, a Texas Instrument or Casio scientific calculator for $10 and a week's worth of school clothes for $50.

"We know it's tough right now and Americans are looking to us to provide the best value, and we will," Bill Simon, Wal-Mart's chief operating officer, said in a statement.

"We'll continue to be more aggressive on pricing," said Simon added, "[We] already are working with key suppliers on upcoming plans for fall and holiday."

The retailer said in a statement it will change prices on a weekly basis, "depending on the seasonal need," and the top brands that customers want.

Sales of Wal-Mart stores open at least a year, a key measure of retail performance known as same-store sales, continue to trail same-store sales growth at its main competitor Target (Charts, Fortune 500), the No. 2 discounter.

Although Target is in the same discount category as Wal-Mart, its sales haven't been hit as hard as Wal-Mart's in recent months because Target appeals to slightly higher-income shoppers whose disposable incomes are less affected by gas price swings.

However, Wal-Mart surprised its detractors last month with better-than-expected June same-store sales, helped by strong demand for its expanded array of name-brand electronics, including the newly launched Dell computers and other flat panel televisions.

No doubt, Wal-Mart is eager to keep fueling last month's sales momentum heading into the important back-to-school sales season, which typically the second most-important selling season after the fourth-quarter holiday period.

6 months later, a report card on Vista

2007-07-15T13:56:00.001-07:00

SEATTLE (AP) - Chris Pirillo leaned away from his webcam and pointed to his printer/scanner/fax machine, which stopped scanning and faxing after he installed Microsoft Corp.'s (NASDAQ:MSFT) new Windows Vista operating system.

'I can't live in Vista if the software that I use in my life for productivity does not work,' said Pirillo, in the third minute of a 52-minute video he posted on YouTube.

Nearly six months after it launched, gripes over what doesn't work with Vista continue, eclipsing positive buzz over the program's improved desktop search, graphics and security.

With Vista now shipping on most new computers, it's all but guaranteed to become the world's dominant PC operating system -- eventually. For now, some users are either learning to live with workarounds or sticking with Vista's predecessor, Windows XP.

Pirillo is geekier than the average user. He runs a network of technology blogs called Lockergnome, and was one of several 'Windows enthusiasts' Microsoft asked for Vista feedback early on.

Still, Vista tested even Pirillo's savvy. He fixed the hobbled printer and other problems by installing VMware, a program that lets him run XP within Vista. But when his trial copy expired, he decided the solution was too clunky -- and too expensive.

He 'upgraded,' as he called it, back to XP.

Users' early complaints aren't a threat to Microsoft's dominance in operating systems. The various flavors of Windows run 93 percent of PCs worldwide, according to the research group IDC. Last fiscal year, Windows accounted for about a third of Microsoft's total revenue of $44.3 billion.

Industry analysts say Vista adoption is plodding along as expected, with most consumers and businesses switching over as they replace old hardware with new. IDC analyst Al Gillen said he expects Vista will be installed on the vast majority of computers in about five years, the time it took for XP to reach 84 percent of PCs.

It's too early for industry watchers to know exactly how many people are using Vista. At the same time, it's hard to gauge Vista's success by comparing it to XP, because the PC market has grown tremendously in the last six years.

In early May, Microsoft said it had distributed 40 million copies of Vista, which costs $199 to $399 depending on the version. But it did not specify the number actually sold through to consumers, versus those shipped to computer makers like Hewlett-Packard Co. (NYSE:HPQ) and Dell Inc. (NASDAQ:DELL)

Analysts noted that as many as 15 million of those copies could represent upgrade coupons given to XP buyers during the holidays, before Vista went on sale. Microsoft would not say how many of those customers installed the new system, but Forrester Research (NASDAQ:FORR) analyst J.P. Gownder estimated just over 12 million U.S. consumers would have Vista by the end of the year, out of about 235 million PCs in the country.

As for the compatibility problems, 2 million devices -- such as cameras and printers -- now work with Vista, said Dave Wascha, a director in the Windows Client group.

'We are way ahead with Windows Vista right now than where we were when we shipped Windows XP,' he said.

Still, it's an uphill battle: Vista interacts differently with programs and peripherals than previous versions of Windows, and some companies have chosen not to spend time and money updating older products. Printer makers, Wascha noted, draw profits from ink cartridges and services, and have little motivation to invest in updating drivers for old hardware.
As a result, many early adopters have made a sport of grumbling about the one device or program they still can't get to work.

And they've ranted about other things, from how hard it is to open Vista's snap-together plastic retail box, to what they see as arbitrary decisions on Microsoft's part to hide common settings and features.

One of the most common annoyances: Microsoft's user account control feature, designed to protect unwitting Web surfers from spyware and viruses that would otherwise install themselves on the hard drive.

Dan Cohen, chief executive officer of Silicon Valley startup Pageflakes, bought a Vista laptop a couple of months ago. After one too many pop-up windows warning of possible threats from the Internet, Cohen switched the control feature off.

Now he gets pop-ups warning him that turning off UAC is dangerous.

'I feel more secure -- and more irritated,' he said. When Cohen went to buy his wife a new computer in April, he stuck with XP on a laptop from Lenovo (OOTC:LNVGY) Group Ltd.

Some analysts say Microsoft hasn't put enough energy into marketing Vista's benefits to consumers. But it may also be the case that Vista's biggest benefits are ones that cause average PC users' eyes to glaze over, like improved security.

'Everybody wants there to be a repeat of Windows 98 -- the excitement, the sales volume, the rate of growth and everything else,' said Michael Cherry, an analyst for the independent research group Directions on Microsoft.

At the time of Windows 98's launch, broadband access to the Internet was catching fire and consumers were pumped up about getting a faster, cheaper computer.

There's no such compelling reason to buy Vista, said Gownder, the Forrester analyst.

Businesses, like consumers, are in no hurry to upgrade. Before the business version of Vista landed late last year, a Forrester survey of about 1,600 companies found that 31 percent planned to upgrade within a year, and 22 percent more planned to be running it within two years.

Most businesses think those plans now seem too aggressive, said Forrester analyst Benjamin Gray.

While corporate technology departments are looking forward to some of Vista's security features and easier administration tools, there's little reason to switch if more secure PCs end up choking on a critical piece of software.

'They're waiting for Microsoft to bless it with a service pack,' said Gray, referring to a major software update that fixes bugs.

The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a member of Microsoft's Vista Technical Adoption Program, started evaluating Vista in January 2006. Today, only 300 of the hospital's 30,000 desktop computers run the software.

Karen Malik, associate director of technical services, said the rollout is behind schedule because several key programs still aren't compatible, including patient scheduling software. Malik knows the software vendors will catch up to Vista -- someday. In the meantime, she's not rushing.

'We know eventually we're going to need to move to this operating system,' Malik said. 'It's not really an option.'

Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Harry Potter film stirs up $44.8M in sales

2007-07-12T23:27:00.000-07:00

The teenaged wizard beats 'Spider-Man 2' for the highest Wednesday single-day ticket sales in box-office history; advance orders of new book hit record.

NEW YORK - "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix," a film based on the hit series of novels dreamed up by billionaire author J.K. Rowling, brought in $44.8 million on its first day in theaters.

Ticket sales for the new Harry Potter film, from Time Warner (down $0.06 to $20.64, Charts, Fortune 500) unit Warner Bros., reached the biggest Wednesday single-day gross in box-office history, according to Media By Numbers, a box-office sales tracker.

The figure includes $12 million in ticket sales for screenings that started Tuesday night, at midnight.

"Order of the Phoenix," ticket sales beat the previous Wednesday record held by "Spider-Man 2" of $40.4 million in 2004, the sales tracking firm reported.

Early orders of J.K. Rowling's seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, have already reached more than 1.2 million at Barnes & Noble (up $0.62 to $39.19, Charts, Fortune 500), the largest number of pre-orders for any book in the company's history, according to the book seller. Under tight security, Barnes & Noble expects to start shipping the book to its stores on July 16th.

"Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" is the fifth film based on Rowling's best-selling fantasy novels, and stars Daniel Radcliffe as Harry, a teen wizard who, with his classmates, uses magic spells against the forces of dark Lord Voldemort.

"Order of the Phoenix," also stars Emma Watson and Rupert Grint as Harry's closest school friends, as well as Ralph Fiennes, Michael Gambon, Maggie Smith, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter, Emma Thompson and Imelda Staunton.

Your vacation at risk

2007-07-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

Packed planes, jump in cancellations, force millions to scramble for flights; angered pilots cite job cuts.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- As the summer travel season gets into full swing airline cancellations are soaring, raising questions in some quarters whether passengers are now paying the price for job cuts and other cost-saving steps taken by airlines since 9/11.

Airlines canceled nearly 100,000 flights in June, more than double the number a year earlier, according to figures from flight tracking service FlightStats, leaving millions of travelers scrambling to find seats. With airlines filling a record percentage of the available seats so far this year, that could leave some travelers waiting a day or more to make their trip.

And the problem was not isolated to June. For the first half of the year, cancellations jumped 54 percent, according to FlightStats.

The Air Line Pilots Association says a growing part of the problem is flight crews at the nation's airlines being stretched too thin, with pilots having to fly more hours under contracts reached with carries facing huge losses.

Last month the ALPA unit at Northwest Airlines (Charts, Fortune 500) gave management there a vote of no-confidence, saying that bad scheduling and an insufficient number of pilots meant the airline was losing badly-needed revenue. Northwest had more than 2,100 flights cancelled in June, or 5.6 of its schedule, according to FlightStats. That's more than seven times above its cancellations a year earlier.

The problem was worse at the end of the month, after the bad weather had passed, as pilots were unavailable for flights. On May 24 FlightStats shows Northwest canceled about one flight out of seven.

"I think there is a potential for the problem to be more widespread," said Monty Montgomery, a Northwest captain with 21 years at the carrier and a spokesman for the union there. "They can all keep cost lower by lower staffing, but it doesn't allow for flexibility in the face of weather delays, or other disruptions."

Northwest got the most publicity about cancellations, but it wasn't alone. AMR Corp (Charts, Fortune 500). unit American Airlines, the nation's largest carrier, saw canceled flights reach 3.6 percent of its scheduled flights, up 388 percent from a year earlier, according to FlightStats. JetBlue Airways (Charts), hurt by well known flight cancellation problems after an ice storm in February, saw cancellations soar 10-fold in June, as canceled flights reached 3 percent of its total. US Airways Group (Charts, Fortune 500) also saw 3 percent of its flights canceled, more than double a year earlier.

In fact Southwest Airlines (Charts, Fortune 500) was the only carrier among the nation's eight largest to see any drop in cancellations in June. As a group, those eight carriers have seen 2.2 percent of flights canceled in June, nearly triple the rate a year earlier.

The FAA allows pilots to have 100 hours a month of flight time, which starts being counted when the plane pushes back from the gate and runs until it gets to the gate at the next airport.

Most major airlines have a contract limit for hours that pilots would be required to fly that is less than the FAA maximum, but those contract limits have risen in recent years. But the airlines could count on having pilots fly extra hours above the contract limits for extra pay and still be within the FAA rules. As the contract requirements have risen closer to the federal limits, there's less flexibility for both the airlines and the pilots.

Northwest said its problems were due to bad weather early in June that left it without pilots with enough hours to fly late in the month under FAA regulations.

It said it is moved as quickly as it could to address the problems by scaling back on its schedule, and is now flying about 3 percent less flights and working to rehire and retrain pilots who had been furloughed as the airline went through bankruptcy.

The Air Transport Association, which represents major carriers, said most of the canceled flights were from weather and air traffic control issues, not crew shortages or changes in the contract. But it does concede airlines are now working with fewer pilots trying to cover more flights than in the past.

"The carriers are no long in position to pay crews to sit around and wait for weather to happen," said Dave Castelveter, spokesman for the trade group. "In the environment that carriers operate in today, they don't have the luxury of excess staff."

He also stressed that even with the recent increases in flight delays and cancellations, only a small percentage of flights end up being canceled. But he agreed that it can be more difficult for a passenger whose flight is canceled to make other arrangements than it used to be.

"The airlines can no longer afford to fly half-empty airplanes, just like they can no longer afford to have excess staff," he said. "They had to right-size and rationalize the fleets. That means when there is a disruption, there are less available seats."

Castelveter said the industry needs the FAA to start taking steps soon to start improving the air traffic control system and cut down on delays, not just to reduce the fuel being wasted, but also to stop delays from eating into flight time limits.

"Full implementation of that technology would be 2025, but you can begin to make a difference within a year," he said.

Meara McLaughlin, a vice president at Flight Stats, said the problem was not only flight crews being stretched thinner but pilots not being as willing to make an extra effort due to poor labor relations at many carriers. The deep pay cuts and reduced pensions the airlines have forced union pilots to accept in recent years have caused problems beyond the strict regulatory limits.

"Not only is it a lack of flight and duty time but a lack of good will," she said. "This summer is reaping the fruit of situation that has grown over a number of years."

Airline consultant Mike Boyd agreed that pilot morale is causing the scheduling problems as much or more than contractual and flight limit issues. "You're dealing with an industry with labor unions that are very unhappy campers," he said. "You have people who might have flown extra hours who didn't in June."

He said part of the problem is the industry is having an unusually tough time finding the new pilots it needs.

"United Airlines is trying to hire 400 more pilots. But it wants to merge with another carrier, and pilots know that people at bottom of the seniority list are the ones who get booted off after a merger. The starting pay in the industry at the regional carriers sucks."

Boyd said airlines are finding, like Northwest, that many pilots furloughed after Sept. 11 are passing up the chance to return to work due to cuts in pay and benefits. And hiring regional airline pilots and training them is expensive and time-consuming, he added.

"Many of them love flying, but they found other jobs that pay as well or better that don't require time away from their families," said Boyd about the pilots furloughed from different carriers. "The benefits that used to be there aren't there any more. A lot of people aren't going back."

Apple may launch Nano-based iPhone

2007-07-10T06:32:00.000-07:00

iPhone manufacturer could release a smaller, cheaper version of the touchscreen phone later this year, JP Morgan analyst says.

Apple Inc. plans to launch a cheaper version of the iPhone in the fourth quarter that could be based on the ultra-slim iPod Nano music player, according to a JP Morgan report.
Kevin Chang, a analyst based in Taiwan, cited people in the supply channel he did not name and an application with the U.S Patent and Trademark office for his report dated July 8.

Apple (Charts, Fortune 500) filed a patent application document dated July 5 that refers to a multifunctional handheld device with a circular touch pad control, similar to the Nano's scroll wheel.

Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris declined comment.

Long lines of people turned out June 29 when U.S. sales began for the iPhone, a mobile phone with a music player and Web browser. Analysts have estimated that sales in the first weekend were as high as 700,000 units.

Chang said a way to follow up the iPhone with a cheaper version would be to convert the Nano into a phone and price it at $300 or lower. The iPhone sells for $500 and $600, depending on storage space.

"We believe that iPod Nano will be converted into a phone because it's probably the only way for Apple to launch a lower end phone without severely cannibalizing iPod Nano," he said, noting that the new phone could have "rather limited functionality."

Another analyst, Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray, said he expects Apple to bring out iPods that resemble iPhone, which features a touch-sensitive screen, later this year. Such products would help stop iPhone from eating into iPod sales.

"We believe the iPhone reveals much of what the iPod will soon be," Munster said in a note to clients, adding that "iPods with some of the touchscreen features of the iPhone should lessen the impact of cannibalization."

Kerris also declined comment on Munster's note.

ecause of the anticipated lower price for the Nano-based phone, 2008 sales of 30 million to 40 million units "is achievable," according to JP Morgan's Chang.

This would be a much larger volume than is expected of the first iPhone. Apple has targeted sales of 10 million units in 2008, which would give it a 1 percent share of the global market.

Sales of the iPhone are expected to be limited to a small percentage of the market due to its high price tag, particularly in the United States, where 85 percent of consumers tend to spend $100 or less on cell phones.

But analysts forecast that a cheaper phone from Apple, which leads the digital music player market, could pose a much bigger threat to long-established phone makers such as Nokia (Charts), Motorola Inc (Charts, Fortune 500), Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. and Sony Ericsson, owned by Sony Corp. (Charts) and Ericsson (Charts).

Taiwan's Catcher Technology will be the "major source of metal casing" for the new phone, according to Chang, who cited an unidentified channel source.

Revenue from Apple could represent T$6 billion ($183 million) to T$8 billion ($244 million) revenue for Catcher in 2008, Chang estimated.

Sony cuts price of PS3 in North America amid weak sales

2007-07-09T01:09:00.000-07:00

Sony (NYSE:SNE) Corp has slashed the price of the 60-gigabyte model of its PlayStation 3 game console in North
America by 100 US dollars to 499 dollars, the game unit of the Japanese electronics giant said Monday.

The new price took effect Monday, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc said.

The price cut comes as Sony struggles to recover its once-mighty position in the global video game market where competition has heated up since Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT) launched the Xbox 360 in 2005 and
Nintendo Co introduced its Wii last November.

Earlier Monday, Microsoft Japan CEO Darren Houston said the US company has been offering competitive prices for its Xbox 360 in Japan and will continue to make the product competitive in the hotly contested Japanese market.

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Bush blasts Democrats on budget

2007-07-08T00:56:00.000-07:00

In weekly radio address, president renews veto threat if Congress passes its spending proposals.

Escalating a budget battle with Democrats who control Congress, President Bush accused them Saturday of pushing tax-and-spend policies and renewed his veto threat.

Though he stopped short of branding them a do-nothing Congress as some fellow Republicans have, Bush complained that Democrats were "behind schedule passing the individual spending bills needed to keep the federal government running" beyond the end of the fiscal year Sept. 30.

"They are working to bring back the failed tax-and-spend policies of the past," he said in his weekly radio address. "Democrats are failing in their responsibility to make tough decisions and spend the people's money wisely."

With approval ratings driven down to lows of his presidency largely by the Iraq war, Bush is trying to turn the tables on the Democratic-led Congress. Dismal poll numbers for Congress show growing disappointment with its performance as well.

Bush's sharpened criticism reflects increased tensions with Congress, which came under Democratic control in November's midterm election, slowing his domestic agenda. Since then, Democratic lawmakers have started to challenge Bush not only on the unpopular Iraq war but with their broad authority to investigate his administration.

Bush also has had trouble keeping Republicans in line. Several influential senators have broken with him over his Iraq policy, and once-loyal conservatives contributed to last week's collapse of his planned immigration overhaul.

Bush and Congress sparred for several months this year over a war-funding bill and now are headed for a showdown on measures to fund items from homeland security to health care. Bush has proposed a $933 billion spending cap for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1 and has vowed to enforce it.

Democrats have sketched out a budget blueprint $22 billion higher. They say Bush's insistence on heavy spending on Iraq has starved domestic programs and they also accuse him of fiscal irresponsibility for pushing through large tax cuts in 2001 and 2003, which they say have mostly benefited the rich.

Bush seeks to make those tax cuts permanent while Democrats want to let tax reductions for the wealthiest expire. Bush accused Democrats of proposing in the next five years the "biggest tax increase in history" though he gave no details how he reached that conclusion.

"I have made clear that I will veto any attempt to take America down this road," he said.

Bush's fiscal policies also have come under criticism by conservatives furious that he allowed spending to surge when Republicans led Congress.

Ford, utility join to promote plug-in vehicles

2007-07-07T00:29:00.000-07:00

Ford Motor Co and power utility Southern California Edison will announce an unusual alliance on Monday aimed at clearing the way for a new generation of rechargeable electric cars, the companies said.

Ford Chief Executive Alan Mulally and Edison International Chief Executive John Bryson are scheduled to meet with reporters at Edison's headquarters in Rosemead, California, the companies said.

The two chief executives will announce a "joint initiative" that represents a first-of-its-kind tie-up between a major automaker and a major utility in the area of "plug-in" hybrid vehicle technology, representatives of both companies said.

Further details were not immediately available, but environmental advocates said the tie-up showed the momentum building for developing rechargeable hybrid vehicles as a way to reduce oil consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.

Environmental advocates, particularly in California, have been pressing automakers to roll out such plug-in vehicles that would be capable of running on electricity for short distances and recharging at a standard electric outlet.

"I think they're all realizing that the handwriting is on the wall," said Sherry Boschert, a plug-in vehicle advocate and author.

Southern California Edison, which supplies power to some 13 million people in the area around Los Angeles, has been a vocal advocate for the development of electric vehicles and proposed tax incentives and rebates to speed their development.

SCE has said that its existing power-generation facilities would be capable of supplying millions of vehicles if they were recharged at night when demand is low.

Experimental technology being tested in northern California on a small fleet run by Web search giant Google Inc. also allows parked plug-ins to transfer stored energy back to the electric grid, opening a potential back-up source of power for the system in peak hours. ord became the first American car maker to introduce a hybrid vehicle when it released the Escape in 2004.

But faced with declining U.S. market share, Ford later backed off ambitious sales targets for hybrids and was criticized by environmental advocates for having lost momentum in the race to develop alternatives to combustion engines.

In June, an executive for Ford said it was developing new hybrid vehicles but saw deep-seated engineering problems with plug-in vehicles.

Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford Jr., who led the automaker until last September, said last month that he regretted that Ford had not moved faster to seize the lead in addressing environmental concerns.

Led by Toyota Motor Corp's Prius, the current generation of hybrid vehicles uses batteries to power the vehicle at low speeds and in stop-and-go traffic, delivering higher fuel economy.

General Motors Corp. has already begun work this year to develop its own plug-in hybrid car, designed to use little or no gasoline over short distances.

GM showed off a concept version of the Chevrolet Volt in January and has set 2010 as a target for production.

Analysts have said pending legal and regulatory changes could speed the adoption of hybrid technology.

The U.S. Senate last month approved sharp increases in fuel economy standards and is considering a package of tax credits for consumers who purchase plug-in vehicles and the companies that make them. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama is one of the sponsors of that legislation.

Xbox repairs cost Microsoft $1B

2007-07-06T02:58:00.000-07:00

Microsoft will take a $1B charge due to an 'unacceptable' number of repairs under an extended warranty program.

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -- Microsoft Corp. said Thursday said it would take a more than $1 billion charge to fix "an unacceptable number of repairs" to its Xbox 360 video game consoles and had missed shipment targets for the end of June.

Microsoft (Charts, Fortune 500) is under pressure with mounting complaints about Xbox 360 failures on the Internet and growing expectations that Sony Corp. could slash the price of its rival PlayStation 3 console at a video game exposition next week.o far Microsoft has the lead on Sony in the battle for high-end video game machines, but it shipped only 11.6 million 360s by the end of June, compared with a target of about 12 million, Chief Financial Officer Chris Liddell said during a conference call with analysts Thursday.

Robbie Bach, president of Microsoft's entertainment and devices division, said the timing of the announcement about the charge for the quarter ending in June and a new extended warranty were unrelated to any potential move by Sony.

"This is just one of those things that happens when it happens," Bach said in an interview. "We reached our conclusion early this week and because it's a financially meaningful issue we had to announce it immediately."

The hardware issue has marred a string of successes for Xbox 360, which has built an early lead over the PlayStation 3 with Microsoft's strong lineup of games and popular online service.

But it is also finding increasing competition for some parts of its business, such as Apple Inc.'s incursion into television shows delivered over the Web, which is also a feature of the Xbox online service.

Red flashing lights

Microsoft said it had investigated the sources of hardware failures indicated by three red flashing lights on the console and had identified "a number of factors" that can cause such failures.

Bach said many of those factors took time to show up in the consoles, explaining why the number of repairs had grown in the second year of the Xbox 360's release. He would not say exactly how many Xbox 360s had been returned due to hardware issues except that "the number is too large."

The company said it would extend warranty coverage to three years to cover the problem and would reimburse customers who had previously paid for repairs related to the three-flashing-lights error message. It also said it has made improvements to the Xbox 360 console.

The charge will be in a range of $1.05 billion to $1.15 billion, before taxes, for the quarter ended June 30, Microsoft said.

Microsoft had already cut its forecast for Xbox 360 shipments in January. It had previously forecast shipments of 13 million to 15 million by the end of June.

"What you have to ask yourself as an investor is, should Microsoft be in the hardware business?" said Kim Caughey, senior analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group, which oversees about $1.2 billion, including Microsoft shares, for clients.

She added, however, that the charge should not be a concern for long-term investors.

"It's a lot of money, let's not say it isn't," Caughey said. "But if you're a long-term holder, I don't think it's going to have that great an impact."

Bach said the new warranty would not impact the Xbox division's plan to turn a profit in fiscal 2008, which started this month.

He was also mum on the issue of whether Microsoft would announce a price cut for the Xbox 360 console if Sony made a similar move.

"We will assess what we do with pricing and other aspects of our business based on our own business," he said.

Microsoft shares dropped slightly to $29.91 after closing at $29.99 on Nasdaq

Coke considers swallowing Snapple

2007-07-05T01:40:00.000-07:00

As part of a push into tea drinks, Coca-Cola may be interested in deal for the iced tea maker owned by Cadbury.

GENEVA, Switzerland (Reuters) -- Coca-Cola Co. is evaluating whether to make a bid for Snapple, the iced tea division owned by Cadbury Schweppes Plc, as part of Coke's push into tea-based drinks, Coke Chief Executive E. Neville Isdell told Reuters.

"That is a valuation that we undertake - whether it (Snapple) is of interest to us or whether we can do it on our own," he said in an interview Wednesday.

Coke (Charts, Fortune 500) also aims to expand its palette of tea-based drinks using a revived pact with Nestle and recently met with officials from the Coke-Nestle joint venture, Beverage Partners Worldwide, to advance their plans, Isdell said.

"You're going to see more value-added products from the tea platform," he said.

New products with Nestle or a possible tea acquisition from Cadbury (Charts) would serve Coke by accelerating its efforts to expand its offering of healthy drinks, juices and waters.

Top 10 product hits - and misses

Isdell rejected the notion that the market for carbonated soft drinks like Coke was in secular decline, and pointed to the quick rise in market share that followed the rollout of the group's new beverage, Coke Zero - billed as the company's most successful brand launch in 20 years.

When asked what Coke Zero would do to the group's published growth targets, Isdell said, "It will help it. I'm not going to give you a new prediction but it will help it."

Coke last said it expected long-term growth of 3 percent to 4 percent in volume and 6 percent to 8 percent in ongoing currency-neutral operating income.

Coke Zero had already grabbed market share of 3 to 5 percent for carbonated soft drinks in key markets such as France, Germany and Japan, Isdell said.

Snapple could be a real thing for Coke

Cigarette tax hikes lead the pack

2007-07-03T21:09:00.000-07:00

Tobacco taxes in many states have risen in the last year while gas and sales taxes have held steady, says a new nationwide survey.

Smokers have seen even more of their money go up in flames as state cigarette taxes continued to rise over the last year, according to a new survey.

Sales and gasoline taxes have mostly held steady, however, said the report by CCH, which provides tax and accounting information.

Ten states have raised their rates on cigarettes over the last year, it found. Arizona had the largest cigarette tax increase - a boost of 82 cents to $2.00.

There are now 8 states that charge more than $2.00 per pack, and New Jersey's $2.58 rate is the highest in the nation. A majority of states now have rates over 80 cents per pack.

"Cigarettes continue to be targeted for some hefty tax increases," CCH State Tax Analyst Dan Schibley said in a statement. "By contrast, the vast majority of states are standing pat on gas and sales taxes."

Supreme Court rules against Philip Morris

Seven states raised their gasoline taxes compared to a year ago, with the largest being a 2-cent hike in Washington state.

The lowest per-gallon tax was found in Georgia at 7.5 cents, while Washington has the highest at 36 cents per gallon. More than half of states have a rate less than 20 cents per gallon.

Sales taxes remain the largest revenue generators for states that have them. Mississippi, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Tennessee have the highest rates at 7 percent. Colorado has the lowest at 2.9 percent.

Only five states - Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon - do not have a sales tax.

Cheap states for cheapskates

Some states use their lower tax rates to stand out from their neighbors. Residents on the Michigan-Wisconsin border can save $1 per pack if they buy the cigarettes in Wisconsin.

On the East Coast, it's $20 cheaper per carton to buy cigarettes in Delaware compared to New Jersey.

4 tax traps to avoid in 2007

Washington state has high taxes on gas and cigarettes, so some people opt to buy the same items in neighboring Idaho and Oregon.

But it doesn't usually make sense to drive across state lines to find a better rate on the gas tax.

"With gas averaging close to $3 a gallon nationwide, your car would have to get phenomenal mileage to justify driving any distance just to save a few cents per gallon on the gas tax," said Schibley.

AMT penalty: The ultimate insult

Retail gasoline price dips below $3

Pension plans face more cuts

2007-07-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

Defined benefit pensions, which have been on the decline for years, still cover roughly 44 million workers and retirees. But they may become less generous and available to even fewer workers over the next two years, according to an analysis by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Mercer Human Resource Consulting, which surveyed 162 plan sponsors.
he survey revealed that in the next two years close to 40 percent of pension sponsors expect to close their plans to new hires, while 27 percent plan to freeze benefits for all participants, which means no further benefits will accrue beyond those earned to date. Many workers will need to save more to compensate.

Twelve percent said they plan to reduce the level of pension benefits provided. And 10 percent plan to switch to hybrid plans, which are like 401(k)s except that only the employer contributes to the plan and often guarantees employees a rate of return.

Only 3 percent, meanwhile, said they will terminate their plan, which generally means they will convert the plan's existing assets into annuities for plan participants, and no further benefits accrue.

The Pension Protection Act of 2006 now imposes more stringent contribution requirements on pension sponsors. What the Mercer/EBRI analysis found was that "the higher the expected increase in contribution, the more likely a company is to freeze or close its plan," said pension expert Jack VanDerhei, an EBRI fellow and Temple University professor.

Another major factor influencing companies's plans to change their pensions are new rules from the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), which for the first time required companies to report any pension funding surplus as an asset, or conversely, any underfunding as a liability.

Plan sponsors also are awaiting a second set of changes from FASB, which if they go through are expected to alter the way they calculate their pension assets and liabilities, a move that is likely to increase the volatility in earnings.

"Even for those employers with overfunded plans that don't care about the level of cash contributions (required under the Pension Protection Act) ... you take a 10 percent equity hit (to your pension assets) and that can wipe out a company's operating income overnight," VanDerhei said. "You'll be dead on your bottom line."

On the plus side, said EBRI senior research associate Craig Copeland, when companies do freeze or terminate their plans they often increase their contributions to workers' 401(k)s. Of the employers that have changed their pension plans in the past two years, almost half increased or initiated an employer match, while roughly 33 percent added or increased a non-matching employer contribution, according to the Mercer/EBRI analysis.

Those who said they plan to freeze or terminate their plans also said they would make their defined contribution plans more generous, Copeland said.

The second-phase of the Mercer/EBRI analysis will involve weighting the plans in the survey to better reflect their distribution in the pension world at large.

While the weighting may change the percentages of companies that are likely to freeze their plans, close them to new hires or reduce pension benefits, Copeland doesn't expect them to change that much given how high the unweighted responses were.

"It looks like more and more defined benefit plan sponsors will be changing their plans, certainly for new hires," he said.

Visa, Wells Fargo to Test Mobile Payment

2007-06-28T02:31:00.000-07:00

Visa USA is teaming up with Wells Fargo & Co. in an experiment aimed at transforming mobile telephones into electronic wallets.

As part of a pilot program to be announced Wednesday, up to 50 Wells Fargo employees soon will begin paying for some products and services with specially equipped phones instead of credit and debit cards.

If those tests are successful, Wells Fargo then plans to ask 300 to 500 of its current customers to sample the mobile payment platform, which San Francisco-based Visa began building at the beginning of this year.
Wells Fargo's customer tests won't begin until autumn, meaning Visa's mobile payment system won't be ready for widespread usage until next year at the earliest.

Visa, which already runs the nation's largest payment network, hasn't set a specific timetable for taking the wraps off its mobile service.

Going mobile is a high priority for Visa and banks such as Wells Fargo that issue its cards because increasingly sophisticated wireless phones are opening up new opportunities to increase the frequency of revenue-generating electronic payments.Several major banks, including Wells Fargo, Citibank, Wachovia Corp., also are developing new ways for customers to use their mobile phones to check account balances, transfer funds and pay bills, just like they have been able to do for years through personal computers.

Visa and its biggest rival, MasterCard Inc., have been laying the groundwork for mobile payments by enabling 'contact-less' transactions that enable consumers to simply wave a card or key fob over a reader instead of swiping it through a machine.

Because the contact-less method doesn't require a cardholder's signature, it expedites the check-out process _ an improvement that has encouraged more fast-food restaurants to accept credit and debit cards.
But it's still a niche technology. Visa said just 32,000 of the roughly 5 million U.S. merchants that accept its cards currently can process contact-less or mobile payments.

What's more, most consumers don't have mobile phones equipped with the high-powered computer chip needed to make payments in Visa's system.

But Visa and Wells Fargo officials are confident it's only a matter of time before the technology becomes a staple of mobile phones.

'Mobile devices have become an integral part of everyday life, just as electronic payments have,' said Peter Ho, a product manager in Wells Fargos card services division.