Mobile Race Has Two Clear Winners

We have long written that the current mobile wars have at their heart two major keys; applications and technology. The applications wars is raging but today has a clear winner in Apple’s iPhone. The question is whether leisure application can flip into business ones and it hard to see any reason this should not happen. So we are down to how many times developers wish to write and maintain their apps, one maybe two but not many times. The result is Apple and potentially Android and the rest Source: Booksellers Association RSS Feed

BMW reaches agreement to sell F1 team back to founder Peter Sauber

Filed under: Motorsports, BMW

The future of Sauber F1 looks a little more secure. After BMW's announcement earlier this year that it would withdraw from its involvement in Formula one at the end of the 2009, the automaker has reached a deal to sell the team back to eponymous founder Peter Sauber.
The new deal comes just days after it became clear that the previously unknown Qadbak investment company that had a deal to buy the team may have in fact been nothing more than Source: Autoblog RSS Feed

REPORT: Renault delays new Lada products to focus on improving quality

Filed under: Renault, Russia

Lada Concept C - Click above for high-res image gallery
All eyes have been on Renault since acquiring a 25% stake in Russian automaker Avtovaz. The French carmaker headed by the venerable Carlos Ghosn beat out Fiat and General Motors to acquire the interest in Lada's parent company, but then the economy tanked and Ghosn was left holding his hat.
Original plans centered around new product launches to re-invigorate the Russian automaker,Source: Autoblog RSS Feed

Downsizing: businesses in Europe shifting to smaller rental cars

Filed under: Etc., Europe/EU

Audi A3 TDI - Click above for high-res image gallery
Most likely due to the current economic downturn, most business rentals are getting smaller. According to a new report by rent-a-car company Europcar of the latest rentals in 18 European countries, price is now a determining factor for businesses. Therefore, companies that used to rent relatively large sedans now stick to the "4-meter" category, including the Audi A3, Renault Mane, andSource: AutoblogGreen RSS Feed

JCDC LEGO-Inspired Digital Watches

By Andrew Liszewski

Let’s get something straight here. As far as I can tell these watches from Jean Charles de Castelbajac are not an officially licensed LEGO product, but they absolutely should be. LEGO has dabbled in watches in the past, but their efforts have produced mostly analog styles that I wouldn’t touch with a 10-stud LEGO brick. But I’d actually consider wearing these 2 designs which feature a “classic Casio watch shape” with bright LEGO brick inspiredSource: OhGizmo! RSS Feed

Headtime Will Massage Your Scalp, Eat Your Brain

By Evan Ackerman

This thing? This thing scares me. This is a problem, since it’s supposed to be relieving stress as opposed to causing stress. Seriously. It’s a stress relieving device that looks suspiciously like the mouth of a lamprey, which, in case you didn’t know, is a fish that bores into your flesh and sucks your blood out. The Headtime scalp massager features 29 silicon balls, 34 ceramic balls, LED lighting, temperature control, and an internal speaker system that playsSource: OhGizmo! RSS Feed

Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 11.18.09

Quick Spin: Superformance MKIII R Cobra kickstarts our hearts

It's rare that a vehicle lives up to our childhood expectations, but the MKIII R Cobra from Superformance delivers on every level.

The backstory behind HPP's showstopping Daytona conversion... is a Chevy Camaro next?

When we saw the HPP Daytona at SEMA, we had to know more about this 600-hp homage to the '70s. Not only did we get more details, but we found out that HPP is working on a Camaro due to debut at Source: Autoblog RSS Feed

WSJ tops among print publications in reader income

The Wall Street Journal readers have the highest median annual income of all print publications, according to Mediamark Research & Intelligence’s MRI Fall 2009 report.

Sean Callahan of BtoB Magazine reports that Journal readers make $135,740.

Callahan writes, “Twelve other print publications had readership with median household income above $100,000, which indicates a business-oriented audience.

“The other 12 are: Barron’s ($126,710); The Economist ($124,701);Source: Talking Biz News RSS Feed

USB Grenade Flash Drive For Those Who Don’t Like To Breeze Through Security Checkpoints

By Andrew Liszewski

By now you know the drill. I’m sure this 8GB grenade shaped USB flash drive will result in a few laughs at work, particularly if you use it to share files by pulling off the cap and tossing it to your co-worker before cowering as you wait for the explosion that will never come. But if you’re stupid enough to stick it in your carry-on before heading to the airport, well then you deserve whatever fun the TSA decides to send your way. $39.99 fromSource: OhGizmo! RSS Feed

REPORT: Toyota U.S. president Lentz believes Prius could supplant Camry as brand's best seller

Filed under: Hybrid, Toyota

2010 Toyota Prius - Click above for high-res image gallery
The Toyota Camry has been the best selling car in the U.S. for 11 of the past 12 years, and only a total industry meltdown has managed to slow the Japanese automaker's bread-and-butter sedan. Even with that impediment, the Camry still has a comfortable lead versus its archrivals, the Honda Accord and Nissan Altima. In fact, the only vehicles to routinely beat the Camry in overall vehicleSource: AutoblogGreen RSS Feed

Rumormill: EcoBoost V8 Ford Shelby Mustang in the pipeline?

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Technology, Ford, Rumormill

2010 Shelby GT500 - Click above for high-res image gallery
Here's one we've been hearing rumors about for quite a while - an EcoBoosted V8 Mustang. Put another way, a twin-turbo, direct-injected, V8 Shelby GT500. The first rumor we heard was about a twin-turbo 50th Anniversary Edition 2014 1/2 Mustang, which would be the very definition of the word "Sweet!" We asked about this mythical car point blank to severalSource: Autoblog RSS Feed

VIDEO: Mechanically-inclined ninja blows our collective mind

Filed under: Etc., Videos

You won't believe your eyes - Click above image to watch video after the jump
Years and years ago, we saw punk rock legend Mike Watt break an E-string on his bass during a fIREHOSE show. Without missing a beat, he yanked a new string from beside his amp, slid it through the bridge, tied it around the tuning peg and with a single twist his bass was back in tune. The whole shebang from snapped string to next note took perhaps three seconds and the songSource: Autoblog RSS Feed

Mompreneur Creates Safety Mat For Kids With Epilepsy

Firstcoastnews.com:

Joshua Duce loves the Florida Gators, Spider-man, and Spongebob Squarepants.

Like many 6-year-old boys, he’s a happy kid, playing and laughing with a Wii controller in his hand.

Sometimes the active boy just stops cold. He has drop seizures and they happen more than 20 times a day. His brain just shuts down.

Joshua’s mother, Danielle, decided she needed to control the many bumps and bruises.

So she came up with the Safety PlaceMat,Source: Business Opportunities Weblog RSS Feed

Fish Tank Friday: Ocean Theater

By Evan Ackerman

There’s a general rule that the cooler a fish tank is, the more of a pain in the butt it is to clean the tank, feed the fish, and take care of the occasional belly up moment of unfortunateness. The exception to this rule is brought to you by fish tanks that don’t have any real fish in them, and the best of these don’t even have any water and can be stuffed in a closet when you’re not in a fishy mood. The Ocean Theater is all this and more, offering theSource: OhGizmo! RSS Feed

New York State hiding tax increase behind throwback license plates?

Filed under: Etc.

The great state of New York has just unveiled a new license plate design. They're calling it "Empire Gold," unlike the current drab white and blue plates that New Yorkers have been affixin' to their rides since 2001. However, 57,000 people have already filed a petition at a website called nonewplates.com. Already? While the new NY plates aren't the best looking we've ever seen (black on yellow California plates from the 1950s FTW), they aren't that bad. WhatSource: Autoblog RSS Feed

TechArt squeezes more power out of Porsche 911 Carrera 4S

Filed under: Aftermarket, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Porsche

TechArt Porsche 911 Carrera 4S - Click above for high-res image gallery
In certain circles, the 911 4S is considered the Porsche to get. You got your high-output S motor, the security of all the wheels being driven, a curvaceous (if not swollen) rear end, all the luxuries of home (especially if you tick off "leather air vents" on the options list) but without the crippling price of the Turbo or punishingSource: Autoblog RSS Feed

BMW defies logic with six-cylinder Concept 6 motorcycle

Filed under: BMW, Motorcycle

BMW Concept 6 - Click above for high-res image gallery
BMW is known the world over for its excellent brand of inline-six cylinder powerplants. In most cases, those supremely smooth and powerful engines power the German company's cars and trucks. Apparently, that won't always be the case, though, as BMW has just revealed its new Concept 6 motorcycle at the EICMA Show in Milan.
As the name implies, the Concept 6 boasts an engine with sixSource: Autoblog RSS Feed

Brammo cuts Enertia price to $7,995

Filed under: EV/Plug-in

Brian Wismann on the Brammo Enertia - click above for high-res image gallery
A few weeks back, we got to meet a couple of the guys from electric motorcycle maker Brammo as they set off on a road trip from Ann Arbor to Washington, D.C. We thought the new Enertia powercycle was a pretty cool ride but we were a bit shocked at the $11,995 price tag. Well, it looks like Brammo was seeing some inertia to the Enertia's sticker price and have made an adjustment.Source: AutoblogGreen RSS Feed

Au Revoir, Le Hot-Hatch: Peugeot reportedly retiring GTI badge

Filed under: Performance, Hatchback, Peugeot

To enthusiasts on the Atlantic's western shore, the GTI badge is commonly associated with Volkswagens. But back east, those three letters invoke memories of hot hatches from Peugeot. The original 205 GTI (pictured above) defined the segment for such iconic follow-ups as the 106 and 305 GTIs, but according to the latest reports from the old world, the current 207 GTI will be the last as the French automaker refocuses its energies.
Source: Autoblog RSS Feed

AutoblogGreen for 11.10.09

At Witz' End: Notes from "The Business of Plugging In"
A sampling of thoughts from PEV 2009.
SEMA 2009: eVARO plug-in hybrid three-wheeler debuts, returns
The golden squid is back.

Peugeot BB1 heads to London for a visit
The automaker is even offering free rickshaw rides to see the crazy concept. Other news:

• Pay-per-mile car insurance might come to California
• Oklahomans battling over the cost of NEVs. Should they beSource: Autoblog RSS Feed

Peugeot BB1 heads to London for a visit

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Peugeot

Peugeot BB1 concept goes to the London Eye - click above for high-res image gallery
Peugeot has sent its BB1 electric car concept to British capital for a weekend visit. The BB1 was unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September as a tiny lithium ion-powered city car. The concept uses a pair of rear hub motors for propulsion and Peugeot claims it will go 75 miles on a charge.
The city of London is a prime location for the use ofSource: AutoblogGreen RSS Feed

Implications of The Dollar Carry Trade

The currency carry trade is a strategy where the investor sells a currency with relatively low interest rate and buys a different currency yielding higher interest rates. Investors can also use the funds to buy other asset classes in different countries which would give superior returns. The U.S. Government and the Federal Reserve has kept the interest rates at a record low level so that the U.S. economy recovers. According to the policy, keeping interest rates artificially low would ensureSource: Seeking Alpha RSS Feed

NHTSA study indicates hybrids have higher pedestrian crash rates

Filed under: Hybrid, Safety

A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that hybrid vehicles are more likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists under certain scenarios. According to state-level accident data, 77 of 8,387 hybrid vehicles (that's .9 percent) were involved in crashes with pedestrians and 48 (.6 percent) were found to have been in accidents with bicyclists.
By way of comparison, 3,578 of 559,703Source: Autoblog RSS Feed

STUDY: Hybrids more likely to be involved in crashes with pedestrians, bicycles

Filed under: Hybrid, Green Daily

A recent study by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finds that hybrid vehicles are more likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians and bicyclists under certain scenarios. According to state-level accident data, 77 of 8,387 hybrid vehicles (that's .9 percent) were involved in crashes with pedestrians and 48 (.6 percent) were found to have been in accidents with bicyclists.
By way of comparison, 3,578 of 559,703Source: AutoblogGreen RSS Feed

Citroën updates C5 with a small turbo and an all-new diesel

Filed under: Diesel, Citroen, Europe/EU

Citro's entry in the medium-large car segment is the C5. This sedan, which competes against offerings such as the VW Passat, gets updated with a couple of Euro V-compliant powertrains that reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. First, the C5 gets the 1.6-liter THP turbo gasoline engine, which was co-developed with BMW and can be found in other PSA offerings as well as the Mini. This 163 hp unit replaces the 2-liter 143 hp unit andSource: AutoblogGreen RSS Feed

To Infineon and Beyond: TTXGP brings electric motorcycle racing to America

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, On Two Wheels, USA, Racing

Mavizen TTX02 - Click above to enlarge
Earlier this year at the annual time trials at the famed Isle of Man, the inaugural TTXGP electric motorcycle race proved that battery-powered bikes can be just as entertaining and exciting as their gasoline-swilling and emissions-spewing siblings. Not quite as fast, of course, but still a thrill over the 38-mile winding race course through the mountains.
Now, the eventSource: AutoblogGreen RSS Feed

Namco Classic Game Zippo Lighters

By Andrew Liszewski

You don’t have to be a smoker who grew up gobbling white dots and ghosts to appreciate these retro gaming themed Zippo lighters. You could also be a pyromaniac who really enjoyed Dig Dug as a kid, or someone who can never get enough Galaxian who also happens to prepare a lot of birthday cakes. The Zippos are available in four different versions including Pac-Man, Xevious and the aforementioned Dig Dug and Galaxian, and can be pre-ordered from NCSX for aSource: OhGizmo! RSS Feed

Citroen's C3 Picasso gets more efficient and more connected

Filed under: Diesel, MPG, Citroen

Citroen has just introduced a revised version of the C3 Picasso compact MPV in the UK with a re-calibrated engine to reduce the CO2 emissions. The VTR+ and exclusive models equipped with the 90 hp diesel engine are now rated at 119 g/km CO2 compared to the 125 g/km of the previous edition. Getting below that 120 g/km threshold is important in the UK because road taxes are in part based on fuel/consumption CO2 emissions. Getting into the lowerSource: AutoblogGreen RSS Feed