Maruti Suzuki to use K-Series engines in all car models

New Delhi: In what would be a generational change in its engine technology, India¿s largest car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki has decided to introduce the new K-series petrol engine in all its cars in India in the next three to five years, according to the company's annual report for 2007-08. The new engine is being produced at Manesar in Haryana initially for the global car A Star, which will be launched in the last quarter of this year. It will be manufactured in India and sold in Europe. The engine, apart from being Euro 4 - and Euro 5-compliant, is also highly fuel-efficient, though the company is not ready to disclose its mileage. "The K-series engines are the most advanced in the car manufacturer's stable of engines. They will be fitted in all existing models of cars over the next 3- 5 years," said a company spokesperson. In India, the Bharat 4 norms (which are derived from the Euro 4 norms) of emission are to be implemented by April 2010. The company executive also said that the engine would have a CO2 emission of 109 gm/km and could be further cut down, while the figures for Europe norms would require 120 gm/km in the years to come. Apart from being the most advanced green car engines in their class, the K-series engines deliver greater fuel-efficiency. One major catch, however, is that full benefits of this next-generation engine could be realised only when the quality of fuel available in the country is also scaled up and brought to global standards. Suzuki might have been a little behind its key competitor Hyundai India, which has already introduced Euro 4-compliant engines across its range of models in India. A senior executive of Hyundai says: "We have the Kappa engine for the 1.2 litre i10, Epsilon for the Santro and a range of other petrol engines for bigger cars up to 5 litres. Considering the fact that we already export to Europe in a big way, we have to have Euro 4-compliant engines, which are also being used in Indian cars." Currently, Maruti Suzuki has five types of engines used in its different models. The F-series engines in the Maruti 800, Omni, Wagon R and Zen Estillo, the G-series (two variants) in the Swift, Dzire, Esteem and Versa, the M-series in the SX4, and the K-series in the soon-to-be-launched A Star. While the A Star, kitted with the 1-litre K-series engine, will be available only in the petrol version, the Splash (3-litre engine), scheduled to be launched next year, will be available in the petrol and diesel versions. For the A Star, the car manufacturer has announced an export target of 100,000 units and domestic sales of 50,000 units per annum. Maruti Suzuki's domestic sales for the 2008 fiscal stood at 711,818 cars and it exported about 53,000 units. By 2010, the car manufacturer hopes to sell one million cars domestically, and export about 200,000 cars, annually.

In Touring trim, the 2010 Honda Pilot sports plenty of tech

(Credit: iFR)

When Honda redesigned its large SUV, the Pilot, last year, we saw the expected sheet metal changes. But we didn't expect such a radical change to the cabin tech. In fact, so much of the tech interface is borrowed from Acura, we were in pretty familiar territory. There was the big joystick/knob controller, the profusion of buttons over steering wheel and stack, and the two sets of buttons for two different voice control systems. The cabin tech has the essentials, a stereo with digital music sources, navigation, and a Bluetooth hands-free system, along with an impressive rear seat entertainment system.

Scosche introduces iPod headphone with remot

The IDR350m comes with interchangeable color caps.

(Credit: Scosche)

If you don't want to shell out $80 for the Apple In-Ear Headphones, but still want the convenience of an inline remote, Scosche has a solution for you. The accessories maker just introduced the IDR350m Increased Dynamic Range earphones with tapLINE control technology, which is all just a fancy way of saying "in-ear earbuds with remote." The headphones, which sell for a more reasonable $49.99, include a module that lets you control play, pause, adjust volume, skip tracks, navigate playlists and activate the Voice Over feature to hear the name of the song and artist. There's also an integrated mic for recording voice notes to the iPods that have the functionality. The design is a pretty standard iPod-white, but Scosche does offer a bit of flair by including six interchangeable color caps in white, red, pink, green, blue and chrome. The IDR350M is currently available on the Scosche Web site, and the company will be releasing the darker-hued IDR350MD in August.

Five diesel cars you can buy in the U.S.

(Credit: iFR)

It's taken many years, but we've finally gotten a few diesel cars to choose from in the U.S. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen are all offering versions of their cars with diesel engines, and from what we've seen the fuel economy can be impressive. And unlike older diesel cars, these new models have good acceleration and no black soot spewing from the exhaust.

Volvo's very safe XC60

(Credit: iFR)

In line with its safety focus, Volvo is pioneering some very cool electronic-driver-aid technology. The 2010 Volvo XC60 can be had with lane departure warning, following-distance warning, and blind-spot detection. But while these safety gadgets are optional, Volvo takes the impressive step of making its City Safety feature standard. This feature automatically jams on the brakes when it detects an imminent low-speed collision, which should make insurance companies happy.

Blu-ray laptop for under $1000: Sony Vaio NW160J

Where Blu-ray meets wood grain: the Vaio NW160J

(Credit: iFR)

Is Blu-ray the future of laptops? If Sony had its way, that would certainly be the case. And if all Blu-ray-playing laptops were as well-executed as Sony's Vaio NW160J, that wouldn't be the most daunting consideration. Sony has been packaging its Vaio laptops as design-centric, relatively expensive multimedia machines with a Blu-ray-playing focus for a while now, so it shouldn't be a surprise that the company's new line of slightly higher than midrange laptops, the NW series, culminates with a 15.4-inch Blu-ray version.

This model, the NW160J, comes in at $929. There are even more affordable NW Vaios with Blu-ray drives inside, but the NW160J also comes with above-average, gaming-capable ATI graphics along with its midrange Core 2 Duo processor, making it more expensive than slightly less graphically robust competitors. However, if you're looking for a well-designed Vaio with Blu-ray, a very good screen, and an excellent-feeling keyboard and touch pad--without moving up to a massive 17-inch desktop replacement--you've come to the right place.

Does Blu-ray matter to you, or is it superfluous to your laptop-purchasing considerations? Let us know below.

Onkyo flexes some muscle with its new HTIBs

Onkyo HT-S7200 home theater system

Onkyo's home-theater-in-a-box (HTIB) systems tend to be everything HTIBs usually aren't: big, boxy, and they actually sound pretty good. Today the company rolled out two new 7.1 HTIBs, HT-S7200 and HT-S6200, which are step-ups to the existing HT-S5200 and HT-S3200 (full review).

Onkyo's new HTIBs have several upgrades, but the first thing we noticed is that the systems aren't stuck with the same "pass-through-only" HDMI inputs that plagued the step-down HT-S3200 and HT-S5200. Both the HT-S7200 and HT-S6200 can accept audio over HDMI (you don't need to run separate cables like on the step-down model), and have onboard decoding for Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD Master Audio.

The included receivers also have Dolby ProLogic IIz decoding, which enables the use of "height" speakers placed above your standard front speakers. You can read our experience with the technology, but the short story is we didn't feel it was worth the hassle.

Onkyo HT-S6200

The included AV receiver looks to be nearly identical on both systems, with the major exception being the HT-S7200 has five HDMI inputs, while the HT-S6200 has hour. Otherwise, both systems have 130-watt receivers that come with Audyssey 2EQ automatic speaker calibration, plus two Audyssey sound processing modes: Dynamic EQ and Dynamic Volume. The included AV receiver also features Onkyo's propriety universal port connection, which works with the included UP-A1 iPod dock.

The other major difference between the two systems is the included speaker package. The HT-S7200 features two tall-boy speakers (dual 3.25-inch woofer plus a 1-inch tweeter), plus surround bookshelf speakers, a center channel, and a 230-watt subwoofer with a 10-inch woofer. The HT-S6200 includes nearly the same setup, except trading the tall-boy speakers for another pair of bookshelf speakers. The speaker package included with the HT-S7200 will also be available separately as the SKS-HT870 with $500 list price.

Both the HT-S7200 and HT-S6200 are currently available, with list prices of $900 and $700, respectively.

Rumor: New Sony Reader in August?

Will Sony soon have a PRS-505 replacement?

(Credit: Sony)

In recent weeks there's been lots of news about new e-readers hitting the market. The Cool-er is out. Samsung's just released its first e-book reader in Korea. Plastic Logic is talking up its partnerships with Barnes & Noble and AT&T. And the Kindle 2 had a price drop to $299.

But what's up with Sony? True, its $400 PRS-700 hasn't been out that long, but surely the company has to put out a new e-reader sometime soon or risk losing that precious piece of market and mind share it currently enjoys in the e-reader space?

Well, we've barely heard a peep about a new Reader, but there's been a little activity over on the MobileRead forums. Back in June forum member forkyfork wrote he heard from a manager at Books-a-Million that Sony is coming out with a new e-reader in August. The manager "mentioned that it's going to have Wi-Fi, bigger screen, and more memory. When I asked him if it would have a touch screen, he said 'no.' When asked what the price point would be, he said 'most likely $300,' which might explain why they [Sony] are trying to clear out the PRS-505's now."

Now, it's hard to put much stock in a message board comment from a random reader, especially one who goes by forkyfork, but I've heard from a few sources outside Sony that they expect Sony to have something new fairly soon. So, why not August?

Hopefully, the new Reader, whenever it does arrive, will only be sightly larger and not blown up to the size of the Kindle DX.

When it released the PRS-700, Sony did talk about how it was looking at a wireless option, so it would seem likely that its next model would offer this feature. Also, while we like the touch-screen interface of the PRS-700, the screen did suffer from glare and contrast issues. We also assume a nontouch model would be cheaper to produce, which would help Sony keep the retail price of a new model under $300. At this point, it really needs to match the Kindle 2's price or better yet, go slightly cheaper.

HTC Touch Pro2 coming to T-Mobile August 12

HTC Touch Pro2

(Credit: T-Mobile)

On Tuesday,T-Mobile answered the prayers of many smartphone fanatics and officially announced the upcoming release of the HTC Touch Pro2 smartphone. The Touch Pro2 will be available starting August 12 and will come in a mocha finish, but pricing was not revealed at press time.

First announced at GSMA 2009 as the successor to the HTC Touch Pro, the Touch Pro2 will finally bring T-Mobile customers a much-needed update to the T-Mobile Wing, which has been in circulation since 2007.

While the smartphone will still run on Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional, it brings a number of notable improvements, such as a brilliant 3.6-inch WVGA tilting touch screen, a touch-sensitive zoom bar, a spacious full QWERTY keyboard, and support for T-Mobile's 3G network. The Touch Pro2 rounds out the wireless options with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. Other goodies include HTC's Straight Talk technology, which brings enhanced phone features, and a 3.2-megapixel camera.

T-Mobile is the first U.S. carrier to offer the HTC Touch Pro2. We actually got a look at the unlocked European version of the smartphone and were very impressed with what we saw and have also been anxiously awaiting its Stateside debut. We'll definitely get in T-Mobile's version for a full shakedown but while you wait for the August 12 release, you can get an idea of what to expect here in our full review of the unlocked HTC Touch Pro2.

New Sonos digital music system BU250 receives editors' choice

Multiroom in a box: The Bundle 250 retails for $999.

(Credit: CNET)

Sonos is back for 2009 with a new version of its signature Digital Audio System. Like earlier iterations of the Sonos product, the new Bundle 250 allows you to wirelessly access your computer's digital music collection as well as a wide range of Internet radio and streaming-audio services (Pandora, Last.fm, and--with paid subscriptions--Napter and Rhapsody) in two rooms of the house, with the option to expand that up to a whopping 32 rooms. But the latest Sonos adds a major upgrade: the CR200 touch-screen remote.

If that wasn't good enough--and the remote is excellent--it can also be controlled by any iPhone or iPod Touch running a free app that's available via the iTunes App Store. The result is a whole-house music system that's easier to control than ever before.

The catch? The system costs a somewhat pricey $1,000. And while that may seem like a lot, custom-installed systems can cost as much as $5,000 per room and they aren't as easy to use nor do they offer the level functionality found in this system. We were always impressed by Sonos' capability to access your home music collection and a variety of online music options, but the addition of the slick new touch-screen remote--and the iPhone/iPod Touch integration--gives the luxury digital audio system a compelling leg up on the competition.

Read the full review.

Samsung's debut e-book reader arrives

Samsung shows off its new e-book reader, the SNE-50K.

(Credit: Samsung Electronics)

For its first e-book reader, Samsung Electronics has crumpled up and cast aside its catchy codename and gone downright bureaucratic.

Formerly known by the working label of Papyrus, the new SNE-50K reader will initially be sold only in South Korea, starting Wednesday. But the device may reach other markets across the world sometime next year, said a Samsung spokesperson.

Unlike larger readers such as Amazon's Kindle, the SNE-50K was designed by Samsung to be compact, sporting a 5-inch screen and weighing 6.5 ounces. The device will come with 512MB of memory and offer a resolution of 600x800 pixels.

Borrowing some features from a PDA, the SNE-50K will support handwriting recognition, so users can write and store memos, manage schedules, and view calendar appointments. The device will also let people read text files, PDFs, and Microsoft Office documents by converting those files into a viewable BMP graphic format.

The reader will sell for 339,000 Korean won, or about $270.

"The SNE-50K is expected to open a new chapter in the Korean electronic book market, gaining strength from the expansion of the global content market and recent enthusiasm for reading books on-the-go," said Jae-yeong Lew, vice president of Samsung's Visual Display Division.

Partnering with a bookseller
To ready the SNE-50K, Samsung has been collaborating with South Korea's Kyobo Bookstore Company. The two have worked together to design the reader's user interface and to market the product.

One of South Korea's largest bookstore chains, Kyobo currently sells only around 2,500 e-books, mostly South Korean titles. Samsung said that books not yet available for the SNE-50K can be requested online at Kyobo's Web site. Samsung is also talking to other book publishers about packaging their books for the new reader.

Kyobo predicts the Korean electronic book market will grow to 1.06 trillion won next year and 2.38 trillion won in 2012.

"We anticipate that the release of the SNE-50K will result in a sharp rise in the electronic book reading population in the B2C market," said Lee Han-u, Kyobo's online business director. "Accordingly, electronic book content sales will increase by approximately five-fold."

On its July 29 launch date, the SNE-50K will be available for sale online at Kyobo's Web site and at a few physical branches of the bookstore chain.

Samsung is working on a prototype of the device to sell in countries outside of South Korea. The company hopes to reveal the prototype in January at the next Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Samsung enters a growing and crowded market of e-book readers, facing competition from Amazon, Sony, Fujitsu, and Plastic Logic, which will supply its reader to Barnes & Noble.

Okeanos Explorer to delve the depths of the seas

Someone walks aboard the Okeanos Explorer beneath the satellite dome.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Docked off San Francisco's Pier 27 and rocking calmly in the bay, the Okeanos Explorer awaits its return to sea.

The ship--once a U.S. Navy vessel now under control of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)--is in the midst of being outfitted exclusively for deep-ocean exploration and discovery. Its purpose will be to investigate unknown, misunderstood, and other below-the-surface phenomena. It is expected to be fully operational by next summer.With up to 95 percent of the ocean unexplored, there are vast amounts of research for the ship to pursue. However, the Okeanos Explorer will have a second function as well: education.On Friday, NOAA announced a five-year partnership with San Francisco's Exploratorium that will enable the public to learn about discoveries in real time as the vessel crisscrosses the globe."Imagine being there as discoveries are made," said Richard Spinrad, assistant administrator for NOAA. "That's what we'll be able to do with this partnership."

Cameras cover the ship. With the 224-foot-long vessel's live broadcast and satellite capabilities, scientists hope to engage students, teachers, and the general public. Data will be available to anyone who is interested."This new partnership is intended to engage the public with a special focus on oceans and science," said Jane Lubchenco, who holds the joint title of NOAA's administrator and the Commerce Department's under secretary for oceans and atmosphere. "(We) need partners who are experts to help us create a scientifically literate society."To bring this information to the public, the Exploratorium is in the midst of creating an online package for the Okeanos Explorer, complete with blogs, video and audio clips, RSS feeds, and even tweets from the ship's scientists. They will post information on recent discoveries, as well as general information on climate change and weather phenomena. Tried and true fans will even be able to track the ship through Google Earth and live streaming video.At first glance the Okeanos Explorer doesn't look particularly high tech--it has the typical life boats, anchors, and an average looking deck. But jutting out of the mast, high above the ship's bridge, is what looks like a giant white soccer ball. This is its satellite dome."The first time in there can be pretty scary," said Richard Conway, chief electronic technician for the vessel, "especially because it moves, tilting down and tilting up."

Joule adds CO2 to sunlight to make fuel

Start-up Joule Biotechnologies is sort of a mashup of the fuels, solar, and biotechnology industries.

The Cambridge, Mass.-based company on Monday is disclosing its technology and business plans for making ethanol and other liquid fuels from genetically manipulated microorganisms that have been fed only sunlight and carbon dioxide.

In a break with biofuels companies, Joule says its HelioCulture system works without a biomass feedstock, such as algae or others plants. Instead, the company's engineered organisms grow through photosynthesis in a brackish water solution and directly excrete fuel or commercial chemicals.

Using sunlight, CO2, and genetically engineered microorganisms, Joule Biotechnologies says it can make liquid fuels or chemicals directly.

(Credit: Joule Biotechnologies)

"We set out in sort of a 'blue sky' way and asked what would it take to build a fuel operation at full scale," explained David Berry, an investor at Flagship Ventures who co-founded Joule two years ago.Berry is also a co-founder at LS9, another company using synthetic biology to create petroleum fuel replacements. What these types of biotech-oriented fuels companies are trying to do is to lower the cost of biofuels by streamlining the traditional process, which requires multiple steps involving pretreatment and enzymes."We recognized that what Joule was really harnessing in going directly from CO2 and sunlight to end product will give you incredibly high efficiency," Berry said, adding that biofuel costs are directly related to the cost of their feedstock.Joule's process is built around its SolarConverter, which collects sunlight and feeds carbon dioxide into the solution. These modules can be strung together to make a larger facility. The solution can be recycled once the fuel is separated."Imagine an 8-by-4 (foot) flat sheet which inside contains the solution that flows through the process. The CO2 bubbles in and helps cause the mixing process that maximizes the exposure to the sun," explained Joule President and CEO Bill Sims.Sims and Berry declined to say what kind of organism was engineered for Joule's system but said they are not typically used in this sort of commercial process.

Big claims
By eliminating the need for plant feedstocks and fresh water, Joule executives say that they overcome some of the biggest stumbling blocks to producing biofuels at large scale. The company estimates it can produce 20,000 gallons of fuel per acre per year, which is far more than existing processes or others under development.It claims that it can make its end product--ethanol or another hydrocarbon fuel--with an energy equivalent of less than $50 per barrel.To get large amounts of carbon dioxide, the company anticipates setting up a facility near a large emitter, such as a power plant or cement factory. Flue gas from power plants would need to be "scrubbed" to remove some pollutants, such as mercury.The company is now testing a prototype SolarConverter in New Mexico and plans to break ground on an ethanol-making facility in early 2010. It anticipates having an industrial-scale facility later in 2010.Sims did not say how much money it raised except to say it was less than $50 million from Flagship Ventures and angel investors.Despite hundreds of millions of dollars invested in cellulosic ethanol, there are still no commercial-scale operations that can turn woods, grasses, or agricultural residue into ethanol or hydrocarbon replacements."Our belief is that this is the world's first technology that offers a real solution to reach energy independence," Sims said.

Mazda's MX-5 Miata, the antitech car

There's a reason why the Mazda Miata is the best selling roadster of all time, and it ain't tech.

(Credit: James Martin/CNET)

Often, we get cars that are pretty good, but lack good cabin tech. And because our Car Tech reviews are weighted toward, well, tech, the cars' overall scores suffer and everyone berates us for "worrying too much about dumb iPod adapters" when we should be driving.

However, every once in a while, we get a car that is so good at what it does and represents such a purity of vision, that even a low tech score can be overcome for a high overall score. The Mazda MX-5 Miata is one of those cars that makes us forget about iPods, GPS, and other technobobblery.

While its new goofy face doesn't do any favors for the Miata's reputation as a secretary's car and its cabin tech seems to be stuck in 2004, the Mazda MX-5 roadster is one of the last true sports cars on the road today, yet also one of the cheapest.

It's all about balance and driving dynamic. Weight is at a 50/50 balance between the front and rear axles. There's not too much power, but enough to engage the chassis. Power goes out of the rear wheels, but a perfectly balanced chassis tunes out both oversteer and understeer.

The result is a car, that while sparse on the tech front, is such a joy to drive that it still managed to win over every editor who took a turn behind the wheel, making the Mazda MX-5 roadster one of the best low-tech cars...in the world.

Check out our full review and Car Tech video of the 2009 Mazda MX-5 Miata Grand Touring.

Lenovo S10-2: Cheaper and thinner, but better?

The Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 is thin, but has a very bulgy battery pack.

(Credit: iFR)

Lenovo's IdeaPad S10 Netbook was one of the most popular budget mininotebooks for good reasons: its business-friendly tools, ExpressCard slot, and reasonable price all made it a great option for consumers or corporate users.

When we last visited the S10 in May, the addition of a six-cell battery fixed our gripe about the short battery life of the previous version. Now, another revision is available which effectively replaces the S10--the S10-2. This new model has some physical changes--most good, a couple bad--but keeps the same general components at a reduced price. It's a better deal than previous models, but you'll have to live without one key feature.

Read the rest of our review of the Lenovo S10-2.

Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2

The following products mentioned are available.

Robots to brand the moon?

An ad by Moon Publicity selling ad space on the moon.

(Credit: Moon Publicity)

Speaking of the eclipse, an inventor named David Kent Jones wants to use robots to turn the Earth's only natural satellite into a giant ad.

Jones' scheme is to use lunar robots to plow moon dust into "logos, domains [sic] names, memorials or even portraits...You can even carve your initials in a heart to impress your sweetheart."

Imagine looking up and seeing a Nike swoosh among the stars.

A Salt Lake City company called Moon Publicity says its Shadow Shaping Technology would involve robots pushing the dust into furrows to create shadows that form images when viewed from far away.

The firm may be having a lark, but it says it's accepting bids for ad space on 44 lunar regions starting at $46,000.

Jones isn't the first to dream of selling lunar ad space, as CNET reported in 2006. Others have tried selling real estate on the moon, or laid claim to Martian properties.

But at least Jones has a conceptual video.

Nonetheless, the engineering challenge of getting robots to the moon, deploying them properly, and then getting them to successfully comb over 500 miles of dust (akin to the size of Mare Imbrium) into something recognizable from Earth is, to say the least, staggering.

And it will remain staggering for some time.

This ignores the question of whether it's right to make a mere shill out of what Percy Bysshe Shelley once described as an "orbèd maiden."

Moon Publicity's justification for the branding? The campaign would spur space travel, which is needed due to "the inevitable extinction of the human species."

The company admits people won't like it.

As one You Tube commentator said, "You are not writing on the freaking moon and that's final."

Originally posted at Far-flung Tech

Are you ready for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720?

Epic Games Vice President Mark Rein said in a recent interview that although the video game industry has historically seen console refreshes every four to six years, there's no need to follow that strategy this time around. Consumers just aren't ready yet, he said.

The PlayStation 3 might be around longer than you think.

(Credit: Sony)

"Over half the users who played Gears of War 2 so far do not have HDTVs," Rein told Eurogamer in an interview. "My point is, of the systems that are out there now, the majority of them aren't plugged into HDTVs. So there's no way we're ready for the PlayStation 4 or the Xbox Whatever."

Rein's comments fall in line with what Sony has been touting as the PlayStation 3's 10-year lifecycle. The hardware maker has said on numerous occasions that the rapid console updates of the past simply don't apply in this generation. That's why Sony, even though it's trailing far behind the competition today, believes it can still win this console war. It believes that its console is the only device on the market that has staying power.

For a while, many video game pundits (myself included) thought that argument was nonsense. Surely there is something bigger and better on the horizon, right?

Rein doesn't think so. He doesn't believe Microsoft will release a high-powered Xbox 720 to replace the Xbox 360. On the contrary, he thinks the future of the Xbox is based solely in Project Natal, motion-detecting technology to control a gaming system with no controller required.

"It's called Natal," Rein said. "That is the next Xbox."

Crave giveaway of the week: Eye-Fi Pro

For this week's installment of the weekly Crave giveaway, we've got a sexy little digital camera accessory: The Eye-Fi Pro, a 4GB Wi-Fi memory card that's got built-in geotagging capabilities and allows you to upload photos wirelessly to photo-sharing sites like Flickr, Picasa, and Facebook.

Editor Lori Grunin writes that the "Pro" version of the Eye-Fi adds three key features: "Support for raw file transfers, the capability to connect directly to a computer via an ad-hoc wireless connection, and selective file transfer. In addition, the company is surfacing a software feature--relayed uploads--which allows for transfers to your home system via the Internet."

Normally, the Eye-Fi Pro costs about $150, but you have the chance to get one gratis.

So, how do you try to win a free Eye-Fi Pro? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test.

• Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, no need to register again.
• Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it's funny or insightful it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated.
• Leave only one comment. You may enter this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.
• The winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) Eye-Fi Pro. Approximate retail value is $150.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• Entries can be submitted until Monday, July 27, at noon EDT.

And here's the disclaimer that our legal department said we had to include (sorry for the caps, but rules are rules):

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 12 PM EDT on July 27, 2009. See official rules for details.

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Subaru disappoints in cabin tech

There's a lot to like about Subaru cars. They tend to be very drivable, with small but reasonably powerful engines. Their standard all-wheel-drive gives confidence for extra-urban exploration in any season. The cabins feel well built and a step above your typical economy car. While these are all good points, Subaru only offers the minimum of cabin technology, ruining the experience. For example, in the 2010 Subaru Forester 2.5XT Limited we just reviewed, Subaru offers an optional navigation system and Bluetooth, but other automakers were using similar systems five years ago. The stereo in the Forester is also pretty basic. The Forester is a classic case where good cabin tech would make a world of difference.

Read our review of the 2010 Subaru Forester 2.5XT Limited.

Will Apple kill off the iPod Classic?

The iPod Classic may be an endangered species.

(Credit: Apple)

If you've read the stories on Apple's latest earnings, you may have noticed that Apple Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer took the time to break out the sales of each model in the iPod franchise, which is seeing year-over-year declines for the first time in its history. In her piece, our own Erica Ogg wrote:

"During the third quarter, Apple sold 10.2 million iPods, compared with 11 million a year ago. It turns out that the shifting appeal of the Shuffle, Nano, and Classic model iPods are to blame. But Apple apparently saw this coming." She then goes on to quote Oppenheimer, who says those declining sales are "the reason we developed the iPod Touch. We expect our traditional MP3 players to decline over time as we cannibalize ourselves with iPod Touch and iPhone."

As rumors continue to circulate that Apple will introduce new iPod models this fall (as it traditionally has), the big question is whether the iPod Classic becomes the odd iPod out. In a recent MP3 Insider podcast, CNET editor Donald Bell points out that orders for new Samsung hard drives that would go into an updated Classic appear to be nonexistent, according to Ars Technica and Apple Insider. And shortly after the earnings were posted, TechCrunch writer MG Seigler asked whether the iPod as we know it is dying.

The prevailing bet among iPod followers is that the Classic may stick around for a little while, but it probably won't be upgraded and will be quietly put out to pasture. ... Read more

The following product mentioned is available.

Enjoy your Kindle at night with the e-Luminator2

(Credit: M-Edge Accessories)

Kindle fans, it's time for some nighttime reading.

M-Edge Accessories announced Tuesday its second-generation e-Luminator2 booklight for the Amazon Kindle. This is a sleek-looking, versatile light that's designed to go along with M-Edge's existing line of protective jackets for the e-reader.

The new accessory features a 3-inch-long support arm, a pivoting battery housing, a flexible steel neck, and a housing for the light. The support arm slides behind the Kindle into a specially designed pocket built into the back cover of most M-Edge jackets. The flexible neck can then be positioned at the user's discretion to provide

T-Mobile's myTouch shows us what we want

T-Mobile myTouch 3G photos

We've told you about its cool new packaging, and now we can tell you about the phone itself. It's been a long wait for T-Mobile's second Google Android phone, but the myTouch 3G has finally arrived. We've given it a shake-down and we like what we see.

The myTouch improves on its G1 predecessor in a few ways. It offers a sleeker design, more comfortable controls and all the benefits of the Android "Cupcake" 1.5 update. And even better, we finally get Microsoft Exchange Server support for e-mail. It's still far from perfect, but there's a lot to like about this phone. Read our full myTouch review for the whole story and check out our myTouch slideshow.

Apple remote control for third-party headphones

(Credit: iLuv)

For those who can't wait for headphone manufacturers to incorporate iPhone or iPod remote control units, help is on hand with the iLuv iEA15 adapter.

The iEA15 is an in-line remote that's compatible with iPhones and iPods, including the third-generation iPod Shuffle, which doesn't have any physical buttons on the unit. The in-line remote supports the VoiceOver feature found on the Shuffle as well, but what makes this interesting is that it lets you plug in any headphone you like to your Apple device and still have the convenience of a remote control.

(Credit: iLuv)

This adapter works for the second-generation iPod Touch, fourth-generation iPod Nano, and iPod Classic. It's a solution if you want some control over your music and aren't willing to shell out for a better pair of $85.66 Apple in-ear headphones to replace the bundled ones, especially when there are many better models on the market today for the same price.

No official price has been announced yet, but we'll keep you updated.

New S-Series Walkman or Hannah Montana cast-off?

(Credit: SonyInsider)

OK, maybe I'm being too harsh on what appears to be the next-generation S-Series Walkman, but come on! Could Sony possibly evoke Mickey Mouse any more? Admittedly, the current S-Series has a special place in my heart, and I've been eagerly awaiting a follow-up to the line, which I had on good authority would be in my hands by this fall. As such, I don't doubt SonyInsider's breaking story has at least a hint of accuracy.

But I have to say I'm none-too-taken with the Disney-esque design of the purported player, though maybe it's the bright purples and pinks that are throwing me off--no doubt the black version looks much more subtle.

But let's take a moment to focus on the positive, shall we? First of all, look at that glorious screen! It looks massive--at least for a device as small and slender as this Walkman appears to be. Also, check out the integrated speakers on that puppy; looks like an indicator that we might be getting stereo sound out of two speakers (flanking the top and bottom of the display).

And I have no doubt the S-Series will continue to pack in all the great features we've become used to: noise-canceling capability, quality earphones, iTunes podcast support, subscription music playback, an FM tuner, and SensMe Channels smart playlists. Not to mention prevalent album art and--dare I speak of it? Integrated Slacker support, perhaps? True, that looks like a metal chassis, meaning Wi-Fi is unlikely, but a girl can dream. While I'm at it, give me 16GB and 32GB versions, please. Thanks in advance, Sony.

Originally posted at MP3 Insider

Roundup: Latest cameras from Fujifilm, Olympus

The new Fujifilm S200EXR megazoom

(Credit: Fujifilm)

Fujifilm and Olympus have separately announced several new cameras. All of the new models are previewed below.

Fujifilm brings EXR sensor to its megazoom line
The replacement for the FinePix S100FS has the same lens but incorporates Fujifilm's latest version of its Super CCD.
(Posted in Crave by Lori Grunin)
July 21, 2009 9:01 PM PDT

Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR: Souped-up pocket megazoom is mode-alicious
The 10x zoom FinePix F70EXR gets new shooting features thanks to its Super CCD EXR sensor.
(Posted in Crave by Joshua Goldman)
July 21, 2009 9:01 PM PDT

Fujifilm rolls out four tiny cameras with tiny prices
While a lot of the exciting new features and designs come to point-and-shoots above $200, most of the buying happens at and below that price points. So while these four new models from Fujifilm aren't exciting, they are inexpensive, look decent, and have the requisite specs and features for their class.
(Posted in Crave by Joshua Goldman)
July 21, 2009 9:01 PM PDT

The Olympus FE-5020 shows off its slim profile

(Credit: Olympus)

Latest Olympus FE cameras use microSD
Olympus' trio of Fall FE cameras, the company's budget snapshooters, don't break any new ground but they're shiny and come in bright colors. Most notably, they all offer dual card slots so that your not forced to use Olympus'/Fujifilm's xD-Picture cards.
(Posted in Crave by Lori Grunin)
July 21, 2009 9:00 PM PDT

What's long, wide, and thin and takes xD cards? (Answer: The Olympus Stylus-7010)
In case you haven't been paying attention, the gotta-have-it trend in compact cameras is a wide-angle, longzoom lens, such as the one in the 1-inch-thick Olympus Stylus-7010. Available in August in a choice of dark gray, silver, or pink, the 7010 has just about every feature we look for in a pocket camera in its class.
(Posted in Crave by Joshua Goldman)
July 21, 2009 9:00 PM PDT

Prizefight: 2010 Honda Insight vs. 2010 Toyota Prius

The hybrid comparison of the year is the all-new Honda Insight versus the updated Toyota Prius. Having reviewed both of these cars at CNET Car Tech, our staff, Antuan Goodwin, Brian Cooley, and Wayne Cunningham, evaluates them against each other. Of course we look at fuel economy and driving performance, but we also put a CNET spin on the comparison, looking at each car's cabin tech and interface, as you will also have to live with the electronics if you purchase one of these cars.

Adobe investigating zero-day bug in Flash

Researchers on Wednesday said they have uncovered attacks in the wild in which malicious Acrobat PDF files are exploiting a vulnerability in Flash and dropping a Trojan onto computers.

The situation could affect tons of users since Flash exists in all popular browsers, is available in PDF files, and is largely operating system-independent.

Any software that uses Flash could be vulnerable to the attack, according to Symantec. Adobe Reader is vulnerable because its Flash interpreter is vulnerable, said Paul Royal, principal researcher at Purewire, a Web security services provider.

In a post on its Web site, Adobe said it "is aware of reports of a potential vulnerability in Adobe Reader and Acrobat 9.1.2 and Adobe Flash Player 9 and 10. We are currently investigating this potential issue and will have an update once we get more information."

"The authors of the exploit have managed to take a bug and turn it into a reliable exploit using a heap spray technique," Patrick Fitzgerald writes on a Symantec Security blog post.

"Typically an attacker would entice a user to visit a malicious Web site or send a malicious PDF via e-mail," he writes. "Once the unsuspecting user visits the Web site or opens the PDF this exploit will allow further malware to be dropped onto the victim's machine. The malicious PDF files are detected as Trojan.Pidief.G and the dropped files as Trojan Horse."

It appears the exploit was first developed about two weeks ago, Royal said. The bug itself has been around since December 2008.

The hole is exploitable on Windows XP and Vista users are protected if User Account Control (UAC) is enabled, Symantec said.

US-CERT offered information about workarounds on its Web site:

• Disable Flash in Adobe Reader 9 on Windows platforms by renaming the following files: "%ProgramFiles%\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\authplay.dll" and "%ProgramFiles%\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader\rt3d.dll".

• Disable Flash Player or selectively enable Flash content as described in the "Securing Your Web Browser" document.

JBL Duet III speakers go well with iMacs

(Credit: JBL)

CNET reviewed the JBL Duet II PC speakers earlier this year and had some good things to say about them, though we did think they were a little short on bass. Now we got our hands on the step-up model, the Duet III, which offers the same design but the speakers are blown up in size by about 25 percent.

The package includes zeppelin-shaped speakers measuring 4.6 inches by 4.6 inches by 12 inches (the Duet IIs are 10.5 inches tall). Their fronts have a metallic silver mesh (read: cloth) covering the speaker grilles while their backs have a glossy black finish. They're attractive, modern looking, and go particularly well with iMac models that feature an aluminum finish.

Read the full review.

Note: The actual price of the JBL Duet III speakers at Amazon is $112.86 (earlier they were as low as $75). To get the discount at Amazon (as of July 22, 2009), you have to add the product to your cart for it to show up with the reduced price.

Souped-up pocket megazoom is mode-alicious

Click for larger view

(Credit: Fujifilm)

The 10-megapixel Fujifilm FinePix F70EXR is only 1.1 inches thick when closed, but tucked in its belly is a long-and-wide 10x f3.3-F5.6 27-270mm lens. And as its name implies, it features the company's Super CCD EXR sensor that debuted in the FinePix F200EXR.

With that sensor comes some unique shooting modes for improving low-light shooting and dynamic range, as well as traditional Scene, Program AE, Aperture Priority AE, and Manual modes.

This model, as well as the S200EXR announced Wednesday, include new Super CCD EXR modes using Multi Frame Technology. One of the modes, Pro Focus, creates a shallow depth of field by combining a focused shot of the subject and out-of-focus background and foreground shots. The other mode, called Pro Low-light, uses bursts of four, high-sensitivity photos and then overlaps them creating a single photo with lower noise. It's all very exciting.

All of this excitement comes at a cost, though. Though the camera is capable of 10-megapixel stills, the EXR functions require splitting that resolution in half, with the exception of the High Resolution mode. Then there's the actual cost that comes in at $279.95 when it's available in August.

Of course, if it performs as well as the FinePix F200EXR, it'll probably be one of the better pocket megazooms available.

Plastic Logic e-reader to feature AT&T 3G connection

(Credit: Plastic Logic)

Last week, Plastic Logic hooked up with Barnes & Noble. Now it's got something going with AT&T to provide the 3G wireless connection for its upcoming e-reader, due out in early 2010.

Early Wednesday, the company announced the agreement, though details were scant. There was no mention of pricing, and it remains unclear whether you'll have to pay extra for AT&T's 3G service or whether it will be included with the device, like it is with Amazon's Kindle. (Amazon has a partnership with Sprint to supply the Kindle's wireless connection.) However, the announcement does note that AT&T offers worldwide coverage and that "AT&T devices work in more than 200 countries and regions."

Plastic Logic's upcoming e-reader has been in the works for a while. It uses E-ink technology, is about the size of an 8.5-by-11-inch pad of paper, is less than 0.25 inches thick, and weighs less than many print magazines (at least the ones that still attract advertising). It also has a touch-screen user interface and built-in Wi-Fi, which leads us to believe the 3G connection may require an extra fee.

Plastic Logic's only comment on pricing is that it will be announced "when the product begins shipping in early 2010."

It seems a little odd that the company is making these types of introductions so far in advance of the product's release, but the e-reader space is heating up and other competitors are lurking. By the time the Plastic Logic Reader arrives, Sony will most likely have released the next version of its Reader--(I wouldn't be shocked to see an announcement from Sony in the next few weeks)--and it, too, might offer a wireless option.

Comments?

T-Mobile introduces Samsung Gravity 2, Samsung Comeba

Samsung Comeback

(Credit: Samsung)

On Tuesday, T-Mobile announced the upcoming availability of two new messaging cell phones, the Samsung Comeback and Samsung Gravity 2. The Comeback will be available starting Wednesday, July 22, for $129.99 with a two-year contract, while the Gravity 2 is expected to ship in August (though an exact release date and pricing were not announced at this time).

Perhaps the more interesting of the two is the Samsung Comeback. The handset features a flip design where the screen opens to the right (like a book) to reveal a full QWERTY keyboard. The phone has plenty of messaging options, with support for AOL, Yahoo, and Gmail accounts, AIM, and of course, text and multimedia messaging.

In addition, the Comeback is also 3G- and Bluetooth-enabled and offers assisted GPS with a complimentary 14-day trial of TelNav. In addition, you get a 2-megapixel multi-shot camera/camcorder, up to 16GB expandable memory via the microSD expansion slot, and internal and external color displays. The Comeback will be available in pearl white plum or frost silver cherry.

Samsung Gravity 2

(Credit: Samsung)

Meanwhile, the Samsung Gravity 2 is the thinner successor to the Samsung Gravity, which came out in November 2008. Other than a sleeker design (4.49 inches by 2.05 inches by 0.59 inch and 4.4 ounces), the Samsung revamped the navigation controls and QWERTY keyboard, though it keeps the same horizontal slider design.

The Gravity 2 also gets an upgrade to a 2-megapixel camera and adds 3G support like the Comeback. Other highlights include Bluetooth, an MP3 player, a microSD expansion slot (up to 16GB), and myFaves support. The Samsung Gravity 2 will come in two color options--berry mauve or metallic pumpkin--when it's released in August.

Fujifilm rolls out four tiny cameras with tiny prices

FinePix Z37

(Credit: Fujifilm)

While a lot of the exciting new features and designs come to point-and-shoots above $200, most of the buying happens at and below that price points. So while these four new models from Fujifilm aren't exciting, they are inexpensive, look decent, and have the requisite specs and features for their class.

The A170 and A220 are 10- and 12-megapixel cameras, respectively, each featuring a 3x zoom lens, 2.7-inch LCD, and are AA-battery powered. They have Fujifilm's brand of auto scene recognition called SR Auto as well as face detection and panorama shooting with in-camera stitching. There's only a $10 difference between the two, with the A170 at $89.95 and A220 at $99.95.

The FinePix J38 drops the AA batteries in favor of a slimmer, more fashionable design. Available in black only, it's a 12-megapixel ultracompact with a 3x zoom lens, and a 2.7-inch LCD, and it too has SR Auto and face detection for less than $130.

Lastly, the FinePix Z37 is basically a nonwaterproof version of the Z33WP, which itself is a nice little camera once you adjust to the squished controls on back. (Check the slide show below to see what I mean.) Kind of a competitor to Nikon's S220, it's a 10-megapixel ultracompact with a 3x zoom lens, 2.7-inch LCD, and, you guessed it, SR Auto and face detection and available in blue, green, or violet. It also has a Blog mode, which just scales down the resolution of stills and video so you don't have to think about it, making posts to the Web easier. Its starting price is $149.95.

The A170 is available late July, while the A220, J38, and Z37 arrive throughout August.

Photos: Fujifilm Fall 2009 point-and-shoot cameras