The Chevy Volt Gets a Price Tag: $41,000 Before Tax Credit, First Deliveries in November
When the Chevy Volt concept first materialized a few years back, there were a lot of questions surrounding America’s first mass-market electric car. While answers to most of those questions dribbled out over the last few years, GM remained mum on one critical aspect: price. But today it’s official : the Chevy Volt will cost $41,000 before a $7,500 federal tax credit, and the cars will arrive in driveways later this year. Only 600 dealerships in Chevy’s “launch markets” – California, Texas, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Michigan and Washington, D.C. – will start taking orders for the Volt today, thought the first cars won’t roll off the lot until November. But that hasn’t stopped the GM PR machine from swinging into action, calling this a “historic day.” We’ll see. The Volt has competition arriving later this year in the form of Nissan’s Leaf, a full-blown EV that gets 100 miles to the charge and costs just $25,280 after the tax credit, compared with $33,500 for the Volt. But Volt has its selling points. Though it only gets 40 miles from a single charge on its 16-kilowatt-hour Li-ion battery, GM boasts that the Volt performs beyond the competition because it contains a gasoline engine that can assist the battery for another 300 miles, arguably a very clutch feature to include on a car that is supposed to bridge the technological gap between the carbon fuels of the present and the all-electric future. Considering most Americans keep their daily driving under the 40-mile mark, that might not make such a huge difference. The price, however, probably will. Even after the tax credit the Volt is one of Chevy’s more expensive offerings, not too far shy of an entry-level luxury car. As the NYT points out today, while there are 52,464 people across the globe signed up for an unofficial waiting list at the non-GM-affiliated gm-volt.com, those people on average are looking to pay about $31, 400 for the car. Hopefully cost won’t end up as the Achilles heel of a seemingly good idea. GM plans to roll 10,000 Volts off its Detroit production lines by the end of next year, with 30,000 following in 2012. For those not interested in buying a car in that time frame, the Volt will lease for $350 per month with $2,500 cash down. [ Autopia , NY Times ] View full post on Popular Science - New Technology, Science News, The Future Now
Pre-order the Chevy Volt now for $41k, minus a $7,500 tax credit
The Chevy Volt , GM’s new all-electric car, is finally available for pre-order, and the price is now official: $41,000. But a nice $7,500 tax credit should bring that down considerably. View full post on DVICE
NEWS: Orange HTC Hero 2.1 update finally here
Orange and HTC issues statement It’s taken months of waiting and a Facebook lobby group , but Orange HTC ?customers can finally issue a sigh of relief that they will finally be getting Android 2.1 but the end of the week. That’s the official word from HTC and Orange , after the two companies issued a press release on Tuesday. “We apologise for the delay in Orange Hero customers receiving their ?clair update. Testing the update across European markets took longer than anticipated. However, we hope to receive final approval by the end of the week and Orange handsets should start updating from next week.” We are already hearing the first element of software for the update is already making its way to Orange HTC customers, and this confirms the second element (which is the main part) should be with you by Friday. Of course HTC Hero ?and in particular Orange HTC Hero customers have had plenty of promises in the past, but we get the feeling from Orange that this might finally be the real deal. Now where’s that Android 2.2 update? Tags: Phones Mobile phones Orange HTC HTC Hero Android Android 2.1 Orange HTC Hero 2.1 update finally here originally appeared on http://www.pocket-lint.com on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 19:18:00 +0100 View full post on Pocket-lint : phones
Heads-up Virtual Reality (HUVR) Project at UC San Diego
This is a project going on a the University of California, San Diego. They call it the Heads-Up Virtual Reality device, or HUVR (pronounced like the word “hover”). I call it awesome.
HUVR “couples a consumer 3D HDTV panel with a half-silvered mirror to project any graphic image onto the user’s hands and/or into the space surrounding them”. Apparently, the user’s head is tracked in order to get the correct perspective, and there is a haptic feedback device on hand for manipulation. I noticed that their haptic device looks a lot like a Novint Falcon, which I believe was designed for 3D gaming.
I have a video of this after the jump if you want to see this in action. Personally, I think that the possibilities for this technology are limitless. For example, medical researchers can use this for 3D manipulation of brainscans from an MRI. Archaeologists can use this handle an artifact that is too precious to be handled with the hands-on approach.
Best of all, this technology has come relatively cheap. It uses a $2,300 Samsung 3D TV and a heads up virtual reality system that costs $7,000. I look forward to the day when it costs as much as a desktop computer. I can totally see desktop and possibly even laptop computers being like this.
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MetroPCS offers BlackBerry Curve 8530
Want to get a BlackBerry but you are not quite sure where to start? Well, why not begin with MetroPCS as they offer the BlackBerry Curve 8530? This new smartphone will be available with unlimited talk, text, Web and data service, just in case you’re interested to keep in touch with family and friends round the clock without worrying too much about the final monthly bill. Features include Wi-Fi connectivity, e-mail, and turn-by-turn GPS navigation, where all of the mentioned will cost you a mere $60 monthly, where it already includes the whole range of applicable taxes and regulatory fees. When totaled, it is nearly half of what consumers would fork out in this day and age for other smartphone service plans at different carriers. Sounds like good value for money to us, considering the current economic climate.
At $60 a month, MetroPCS’ BlackBerry service plan delivers exceptional value, where you will be able to take advantage of popular IM services as well as the ever famous and faithful BlackBerry Messenger, not to mention keeping your status updates right up to the second through a range of social media networks. Apart from that, you will also be able to access the latest content including games, ringtones and wallpapers via the @Metro App Store and BlackBerry App World. While it might not be as comprehensive as Apple’s App Store, at least it is better than nothing. With special MetroPCS applications such as Metro Navigator, Metro Back-up, Premium Directory Assistance and Metro Banking, you can be sure your life will be made a whole lot easier.
Other hardware specifications include a full QWERTY keyboard for easier text messaging and email composition, while an optical trackpad keeps up with the times since the good old trackball tends to gather dust over time. It is rather unfortunate that the digital camera maxes out at just 2-megapixels, complete with zoom and video recording. Interested? Might be a good start for those who are trying to figure their way around in the world of smartphones.
Press Release
Acer rolls out new S1 line of LED monitors
Acer has a heart for the environment with their new line of super slim LED monitors which will boast an eco-friendly, space-conscious design at the same time. Known as the new S1 series, it boasts a combination of the latest LED technology alongside a slim 13mm to 15mm profile, making them perfect for those who have extremely limited space in their homes, whether for work or entertainment purposes. They’re one of the slimmest LED monitors in the market, that’s for sure, and you’ll be hard pressed to find any other models out there that are comparable in terms of design and size. The S1 series from Acer will come in 20″, 21.5″ and 23″ sizes to suit your fancy.
All three of them will feature several key eco-friendly, energy-saving technologies, where all of them boast white LED backlighting that will not come with hazardous substances including mercury or halogen gases, making it a whole lot more environment friendly. Not only that, white LED technology consumes less juice, offering up to 68% of power savings to users. All three displays are also RoHS and ENERGY STAR 5.0 compliant, making it play nice with the latest and most widely used energy-conservation qualification to further help you reduce your monthly power bill (theoretically speaking, of course).
If you love recycling, then you’ll be pleased to know that they will also come in highly recyclable packaging materials, where all major plastic components are properly labeled with the composition code and recycling symbols to make sure any future recycling efforts will be based on ISO 1043/11469 standards. Being so green doesn’t mean it skimps on performance, as the new Acer S1 series feature 12,000,000:1 contrast ratio, a 16:9 aspect ratio, as well as 1920 x 1080 resolution for the 21.5″ and 23″ models, rapid 5ms response times, 250 cd/m2 brightness and 16.7 million colors support. Connectivity options comprise of a VGA port or DVI port with HDCP protection (depending on the model). The high end 23″ model also sports an all-digital HDMI interface, letting you hook up your video game consoles and Blu-ray players to it without missing a beat. The 20″ S201HL will retail for $169.99, while the 21.5″ S211HL is going for $219.99 with a $269.99 asking price for the 23″ S231HL.
Press Release
Fujifilm FinePix Z800EXR offers new touch screen sensation
The Fujifilm FinePix Z800EXR is a new digital camera that sports a second generation EXR sensor and Hybrid Auto Focus System, where it will hit the market this coming autumn – which means you can still use it to capture your favorite photos this coming Christmas, although you will have to settle for something else this autumn. Featuring a sleek design and advanced features such as a large and intuitive 3.5″ touch-screen LCD display, an internal Fujinon 5x zoom lens, a 12 megapixel EXR sensor with a spanking new Hybrid Auto Focus System and enhanced Dual Image Stabilization, the Z800EXR is more than capable of producing images which are simply as magnificent as the camera itself. To know more on how this marketing speak measures up, look into the extended post.
With the Z800EXR’s new Phase Detection auto focusing system, it will automatically auto focus and snap an image whenever you press the button, without waiting for a few seconds in the process. To get a better idea on just how much faster it is compared to standard digital cameras, it will take all of just 0.158 seconds to capture an image for all eternity. With its phase detection Auto Focus, it will function in a way that divides the incoming light into pairs of images, while calculating the phase difference to check whether the object is in front focus or back focus position. This is a similar mechanism to that of external sensors on DSLRs, hence managing to achieve an incredibly fast auto focus speed.
As for its 3.5″ touch-screen LCD display, it also lets you touch and shoot as well as touch and zoom, not to mention keeping up with the times by letting you flick your way through your collection of photos over its display. Boasting a generous 460K dots of resolution, you should be able to see all of the important information on the display itself without having to project it to a larger display. Thanks to its Dual Direction GUI and Dual Image Display, you will be able to navigate though the Z800EXR’s functions in a smooth and easy manner. Choose from gorgeous bright Red and a stunning matte Black as the color of your choice.
Press Release
Fujifilm FinePix S2800HD digital camera gets 18x zoom lens
The Fujifilm FinePix S2800HD digital camera is different from the rest since it comes with a generous 18x Fujinon optical zoom lens packed into a small lightweight body. When working in tandem with its 14 megapixel sensor, you can be sure that snapping great looking photos are a, well, snap. This is the latest addition to Fujifilm’s S-Series range of cameras, where it will bring together the ease-of-use of a compact camera without sacrificing on top image quality, letting you capture your digital memories with full confidence each time. To know more about the S2800HD, you can check out further information on its specifications and capabilities in the extended post.
The FinePix S2800HD will come with an impressive 28mm – 504mm high precision Fujinon optical zoom lens, virtually opening up the door for you to shoot all of the action even from a considerable distance away, making short work of cinematic landscapes as well as wildlife without missing a beat. Thanks to its new Panoramic shooting mode, you will be able to remove the risk of uneven landscapes or shaky horizons as all you need to do is shoot, align the + symbol into the circle and let the shutter to release itself automatically to seamlessly stitch the shots together in-camera. Talk about shooting like a pro, without really knowing how to do so.
Its mechanically stabilized 1/2 3″, 14 megapixel CCD sensor and high ISO sensitivity settings coupled with Fujifilm’s Dual Image Stabilization technology will work together to reduce the blurring effects of both hand-shake and subject movement, delivering superb pictures in the process. It can also play back still and movies in High Definition quality if you want to view your handiwork on the spot, but for those who prefer to enjoy their images on a large screen TV, then a mini HDMI port comes in handy, although you will need to pick up the mini HDMI cable separately. Other features include a Face Detection system, where its Smile and Shoot mode will be able to tell when your subject is smiling before taking a photo. It is powered by a quartet of AA batteries, which means you will be able to use it just about anywhere in the world without worrying about finding the right power socket for it.
Press Release
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