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2010/01/12

2010 Detroit Auto Show: Audi Unveils New E-Tron Concept, Live Gallery 2010 Detroit Auto Show: Audi Unveils New E-Tron Concept, Live Gallery

  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show
  • Audi e-tron Concept for 2010 Detroit Auto Show

Audi's e-tron electric supercar concept has already been through two iterations--or, rather, one. With two different-colored R8-styled show cars, Audi hit the Frankfurt and Los Angeles Auto Shows hard. Now they've brought a third color and a new more cab-rearward layout to the car.

With the mid-engine proportions gone--this is an electric car, after all, and with the motors mounted inboard of two wheels, the powertrain is highly reconfigurable--the e-tron looks more like a classic front-engined sports coupe. It is also a very compact design, with a wheelbase of just 95.67 inches--that's 8.66 inches shorter than the R8.

Unlike the previous e-tron concepts, the latest uses two electric motors instead of four, driving the rear axle. By only driving the rear wheels, the new e-tron concept is able to maintain Audi's desired weight distribution of 40:60 front:rear despite looking like a front-engine (and therefore front-heavy, or at least 50:50) car. The battery unit sits just in front of the rear wheels, and checks in at a hefty 879 pounds.

Styling, aside from the different proportions, follows essentially in lock step with previous e-tron concepts, including the trapezoidal grille, LED headlights and taillights, and generally high-tech, sweeping curves terminated in crisp edges.

To help keep weight down and therefore maximize range of the battery pack, the body's structure is made with Audi's Space Frame (ASF) technology, which combines aluminum and carbon fiber reinforced composites. The high-tech materials allow the lightweight structure to maintain the rigidity necessary without the bulk of steel. Total curb weight of the new e-tron: 2,976 pounds.

Performance is good, too, at 5.9 seconds 0-62 mph and 37-75 mph in just 5.1 seconds, meaning passing should be a breeze as well. This is slightly slower than the Frankfurt show car's 4.8-second 0-60 mph time and 4.1-second 37-75 mph run, perhaps hinting that Audi has begun tuning the power delivery more for range than outright performance. Top speed is electronically limited to 124 mph and range is a moderate 155 miles.

Audi promises that the car has precise and nimble handling, thanks in part to its advanced chassis and weight layout, but also to the electromechanical assisted direct rack-and-pinion steering system, which provides more feedback than alternatives. Nineteen-inch wheels with 35 spokes and a unique blue color also grace the show car.

Though it's not yet known which version of the e-tron concept will make production, the e-tron has already been confirmed for 2012.

[Audi]



MOTORAUTHORITY

Man buys virtual space station for 330k real dollars


by Mike Schramm

Welcome back to Joystiq's Flip This House, finding you the best deals in gaming real estate! This week, we're looking at a doozy of a fixer-upper: it's a beautiful space station called the Crystal Palace, with multiple fine amenities, including four bio-domes (full of alien species to hunt), Trade and Revival Terminals, a working auctioneer, and the universe-famous Stahlsteiner's bar. In case you haven't figured it out yet, it's a virtual place, and did we mention the asking price? 330,000 real world dollars.

That's what MMO Planet Calypso (formerly Entropia Universe) player "Buzz Erik Lightyear" paid to "own" an in-game hub. As you can see above, he paid 3.3 million "Project Entropia Dollars" for the virtual real estate, and those PED were purchased with real dollars -- 330k of them. What does he get for his money? The station is one of the nicer setups in the virtual universe, and since players pay PED to shop, hunt, and hang out there, "Erik" can set tax rates on the payments, and turn fake bucks back into real cash. We're not sure how much real cash (depends on where he sets the rates, and that will affect the place's popularity as well), but it'll probably be a while before he can ... flip... this... house!

[Thanks, Kreyg]

JOYSTIQ

Asus Introduce Designer Netbook and Core i7 Gaming Laptop

LAS VEGAS—Rather than ride the coat tails of Intel and merely announce laptops with new parts, Asus, at CES 2010, is placing design and innovation at the top of its to-do list. In addition to the Asus EeeKeyboard PC and the NX90 Bang & Olufsen Laptop, the company partnered up with a well-known designer—Karim Rashid—to add some flavor to its EeePC netbook line. Not to be outdone, its Republic Of Gamers Gaming laptop line gets a makeover as well.

The Asus EeePC 1008P Seashell (Karim Rashid Collection) is not an entirely new concept, as the underlying chassis is based on the EeePC 1008HA, which I reviewed last year. It inherits the 10-inch widescreen and the drab 1,024-by-600 resolution, and weighs as much as its predecessor (2.8 lbs).

The selling point, this time around, centers on the work of Karim Rashid, a New York-based designer known for his use of new materials such as foams, plastics, and synthetic fabrics. His Seashell collection will come in two colors: Hot Pink and Coffee Brown. Both designs have intersecting lines that form boxes, and when light reflects off of the plastics, some 3D depth can be perceived as well. The materials Karim used in the Coffee Brown configuration are soft to the touch—almost foam-like. The same colors can be detected along the edges and on the hinge area of the 1008P Seashell.

The keyboard is isolated like its predecessor, though its pitch looks like 92 percent of full size, which falls short of the full size keyboards found in the Toshiba mini NB205 and the Samsung N120 (21GBK). Like every other netbook announced at CES 2010, the 1008P Seashell will run on new Intel Atom parts, which include the N450 (1.6GHz) processor, Intel NM10 graphics, and up to 2GB of DDR2 memory (1GB standard). Unlike its predecessor, this Seashell ships with Windows 7 Home Premium, and a removable 3-cell Lithium Polymer battery (~6 hours).

The Asus ROG G73Jh is focused more on components than looks, although its matted black design is inspired by the Lockheed F117A Nighthawk Stealth Fighter. At the heart of this beast lies an Intel Core i7-720QM (1.6GHz) Quad core processor, 8GB of DDR3 memory, and a Direct X 11-capable, ATI Mobility Radeon HD5870 graphics card (1GB VRAM). It's loaded with two speedy hard drives (7200rpms), for a total of 1 Terabyte, and includes high-end features such as a Blu-Ray reader, 8-channel HD audio, and over-clocking on the fly through its proprietary software.


PCMAG

10 Web Browsers You Probably Haven’t Heard Of

Firefox. Internet Explorer. Chrome. Safari. Opera. We’ve pretty much all heard of them by now. They’ve been fighting for market share for the past few years (Internet Explorer has been fighting for it for a lot longer than that), and it’s unlikely any of them will ever come out the absolute winner. They try to be all things to all people. And that’s great.

Except…

What if you’re looking for a browser that does just the things you want to do online? What if you’re sick of all the browser-war hubub and want something that’s truly unique and different (and, maybe, works better than the mainstream options)? What then?


Well, there’s good news. There are more than a dozen excellent alternative browsers out there if you’re looking for something distinctive. Below are ten such web browsers, along with why you might want to consider using them.

1. Stainless

Stainless

Stainless is a browser created in response to Google Chrome. It utilizes multi-processing architecture like Chrome (which, at the time of inception, wasn’t available for OS X), but also has some excellent features not found in other browsers. One of the most interesting features is the ability to log into one website using two different accounts in separate tabs.

Why you should consider it: The ability to log into a site with different credentials in different tabs makes this an excellent option for many. It’s especially useful if you have, say, work-related Gmail accounts and personal Gmail accounts.

Current release version: 0.7.5

Operating systems supported: OS X Leopard and Snow Leopard.


2. Maxthon

Maxthon

Maxthon is a highly configurable browser that places an emphasis on security. It has a built-in Ad Hunter that blocks most ads, as well as security features to prevent spyware, malware, and viruses. It lets you fully customize your browsing experience (you can choose between using menus, hot keys, word aliases, toolbars, or mouse gestures, plus there are more than 1,400 plug-ins to add functionality). It has filters available to block irritating or offensive content.

Other Maxthon features include a built-in screen capture tool, URL aliases for faster surfing, a built-in feed reader, an online favorites service, advanced proxy rules, and an anti-freeze feature.

Why you should consider it: If you want a customizable browser, Maxthon might be what you’re looking for; it’s built specifically for power users. Between plugins, skins, filter packs, and other customizable features, it truly lets you personalize your browsing experience. For parents concerned about their children’s’ activities online, the filters for blocking content can be reassuring.

Current release version: 2.5.11 (the Classic Version is also available: 1.6.5)

Operating systems supported: Windows


3. Sleipnir

Sleipnir

Sleipnir is very popular in Japan with a majority share in the country. It’s a profoundly customizable browser that maintains speed and performance despite customizations. There are skins and plugins available for it, letting you change the design and settings of the browser to suit your needs. And as all good browsers should, it stresses on security and usability, and allows for tabbed browsing.

Why you should consider it: Sleipnir is an option if you want a highly customizable browsing experience.

Current release version: 2.9.2

Operating systems supported: Windows 98 and newer

4. Swiftfox

Swiftfox

Swiftfox is an optimized build of Firefox that’s faster and more cutting edge than the regular Firefox distribution. It works with Firefox plugins, making it remarkably extensible. The overall user interface is similar to Firefox, but is a bit more minimalist and clutter-free. Most other features are in line with what Firefox has to offer.

Why you should consider it: If you love Firefox but want something faster and lighter, then Swiftfox is your best bet.

Current release version: 3.5.6

Operating systems supported: Linux

5. Lunascape

Lunascape

Lunascape is the world’s first and only triple engine browser. That’s right: it’s a hybrid browser that runs on Gecko, Trident, and WebKit. It supports plugins and add-ons from Firefox, Internet Explorer, as well as their own plugin platform. It’s touted to be faster and lighter than many other browser options.

Why you should consider it: If you find yourself constantly switching back and forth between browsers (either for cross-browser testing of web designs or because of add-ons available only to Firefox or Internet Explorer), Lunascape is a perfect fit for you.

Current release version: 6.0.1

Operating systems supported: Windows

6. Konqueror

Konqueror

Konqueror combines web browsing, local and remote file management, and a universal viewing app that lets you view documents without having to launch other programs. It’s open source and HTML 4.01 compliant. It embraces Netscape plugins (like those for Flash or RealVideo). Konqueror also has a built-in FTP and WebDAV support.

Why you should consider it: If you’re a Linux user who wants a browser that can multitask, then Konqueror is definitely something to look into. It’s especially useful for those who want to be able to manage files right from within their browser.

Operating systems supported: Linux

7. SeaMonkey

SeaMonkey

SeaMonkey is developed by Mozilla and is an "all-in-one" internet suite of apps. While the browser within SeaMonkey is pretty standard (and not unlike Firefox), what sets it apart is that it has integrated email, newsgroups, an HTML editor, IRC Chat, and web development tools. The mail feature offers tabbed reading and supports tagging and alternate views for better email finding and reading. The HTML editor renders CSS and gives you dynamic image and table resizing. For web developers, you can take advantage of the JavaScript debugger and a DOM inspector.

Why you should consider it: For developers and designers, SeaMonkey has a plethora of useful built-in features. It’s also a great option for people who like to run the bare minimum number of apps.

Current release version: 2.0.1

Operating systems supported: Windows 2000 and newer, Mac OS X 10.4 and newer, and Linux.

8. OmniWeb

OmniWeb

OmniWeb is a WebKit browser created by the same people who created OmniGraffle and OmniOutliner. It aims to be fun and easy to use (like other Omni products) and shares a similar user interface. It has all the standard browser features we’ve come to expect (including tabbed browsing, bookmarks, and ad blocking), but also includes Workspaces, which lets you save browsing sessions to open later and includes an auto-save option and a built-in RSS reader.

Why you should consider it: For Mac users who want a browser that’s efficient and easy to use, OmniWeb might be just what you’re looking for. It’s appropriate for power users too, and the Workspaces feature is especially handy.

Current release version: 5.0.1

Operating systems supported: Mac OS X 10.4.8 or newer

9. Camino

Camino

Think of Camino as a Firefox build specifically for Macs, built on the Gecko 1.9 rendering engine. It includes phishing and malware protection, tabs (including a tab overview function that lets you see all your open tabs at once), "annoyance blocking" (which blocks ads, pop-ups, and Flash animations), Keychain support (to save your browsing credentials), and download notifications. It also includes AppleScript support, feed detection, session saving, recently closed tabs, and full keyboard access.

Why you should consider it: Camino is a great browser for Mac users who like Firefox but want something built specifically for the Mac.

Current release version: 2.0

Operating systems supported: Mac OS X 10.4 or newer

10. Flock

Flock

Flock is probably better known than many of the other browsers above, especially if you’re a social media addict. Flock was created specifically to make managing your social media activities easier from within your browser.

Flock focuses on staying connected through social media by making sharing and publishing things easier. It integrates directly with Facebook, Gmail, Digg, YouTube, MySpace, Flickr, Twitter, WordPress, Blogger, Delicious, Bebo, TypePad, Picasa, and more. Special features include a People sidebar, a Media bar (to browse photos and videos from your favorite sites), a built-in feed reader, a photo uploader, a blog editor, and more. There are also extensions and custom themes available for download.

Why you should consider it: Flock is a great choice for social media power users who want to be able to connect with all their social media accounts from one place.

Current release version: 2.5

Operating systems supported: Windows, Linux, Mac OS X


AUTHOR: Cameron Chapman



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