by Darren Murph, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 8:11PM
While Audi is over there planning to produce an electric car within the next decade, Mercedes-Benz is hoping to be completely petro free within seven years. At least that’s the word according to a recent report in The Sun. Dr. Herbert Kohler, who is responsible for Mercedes’ advanced engineering, has reportedly suggested that “by 2015 motorists will have switched almost completely to alternative fuel cars.” In order to make sure it’s not left out, the automaker already has an electric car in the works for 2010 as well as plans to use its DiesOtto engine which will give motorists the ability to use biofuels should they choose. Still, aiming to phase petroleum completely out of its lineup by 2015 sounds overly ambitious from here, but we certainly won’t complain if it achieves said goal.

[Via AutoblogGreen, thanks Dan]

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Brother has introduced its newest inkjet multifunction printer, the MFC-6490W. Although it may seem just your usual high-end all-around printer, for Brother this printer is the first in their product line which can print, copy, scan, and fax on an 11-inch by 17-inch sized paper, which is the same size a fully spread tabloid newspaper.

Features of the MFC-6490W include USB ports for connecting USB flash drives that allow for direct printing, PictBridge compatible ports, external multimedia cards, built-in auto-document feeder, dual paper input trays, four ink cartridges, a 3.3-inch color LCD which also serves as a control center for the printer. For its color printing speed, the MFC-6490W gives out up to 35/28 ppm (Mono: 450×300dpi, Color: 600×150 dpi).

This printer will be available sometime next month and it will retail for $299.

Via [Crave]

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by Darren Murph, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 2:42PM
With the introduction of the Air Guitar Rocker, we pretty much bid the art of air rockin’ adieu. No longer could we slam our belt buckles in an attempt to whammy a downright nasty Bb chord without feeling ashamed. Thanks to the AirPiano, however, imaginary musicians the world over may have one more chance to garner the respect of innocent bystanders. This instrument, which is truthfully more akin to a theremin than a bona fide piano, enables users to emit beautiful tones without ever touching the “keys.” It’s even smart enough to sustain a note if you hold your hand over a particular area for an extended time. We don’t hand out unwarranted props, but we can’t help but tip our hats to this one. Head past the break for a video of what we’re gushing over.

[Via Hack-A-Day]

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It looks like the MSI Wind is finally getting ready to begin shipping to US customers. The Wind, which was listed in the MSI Shop and then removed has since been re-listed and is now showing a shipping date of July 7.

Currently the Wind is simply just listed and is unavailable, with no pre-order option available. There are also limiting customers to a one Wind netbook per order because of limited quantities. The models listed will include the three-cell battery and they are retailing for $479.99.

Amazon, who also has them listed for $479.99 with the three-cell batteries is still reflecting a 3 to 5 week time frame before the Wind will ship. Still unknown is when the Wind will begin shipping with a six-cell battery, however it is rumored to becoming sometime in July, of course after all of the delays related to the three-cell model I would not be all that surprised when that gets pushed back even further.

Product [MSI Shop] Via [I4U News]

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Vizio will be offering three new HDTV models from both plasma and LCD varieties in its new XVT series that touts more features and extended performance without breaking the bank. The packaging will take a bold new look, featuring a distinct black/grey lave and gold Vizio logo. The first three models in the XVT series are the SV420XVT and SV47XVT LCD HDTVs that feature 120Hz processing while the VP505XVT Plasma HDTV is more than capable of offering full 1080p and HQV processing. Let’s take a closer look at these after the jump.

Both the Vizio SV470XVT and SV420XVT 120Hz LCD TVs feature full HD resolution, along with Vizio’s very own Smooth Motion technology that delivers flawless video frame after frame. With a superior refresh rate of 120Hz (twice the speed of many other LCDs that are stagnant at 60Hz), you can kiss goodbye to old problems such as motion blur from fast-action movies and video games. I suppose folks who also watch sports as well as nature programs in high definition programming will find this to be a great deal, as artifacts are resigned to history.

The SV470LF and SV420LF use SRS Labs’ TruSurround XT audio processing for premium virtual surround and they are also compatible with the VIZIO SV5.1 Upgrade Kit that adds 5.1 surround sound functionality with the inclusion of rear channel speakers and a wireless subwoofer. Both include the new brushed aluminum-trimmed VUR8 Universal Learning Remote with Picture-In-Picture keys, handsomely designed to control an entire A/V system. Each model provides side access HD Game Ports with two HDMI v1.3 inputs for fast connections of game consoles, camcorders and other portable sources, in addition to two HDMI ports on the rear panel.

You can pick up the new Vizio SV420XVT and SV470XVT this July for $1,499.99 and $1,899.99, respectively.

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by Nilay Patel, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 8:35AM
Progressive insurance has been testing out the MyRate driving monitoring system for a few years now (it used to be called TripSense), but it’s finally taking the system national, bringing pay-as-you-drive insurance into the mainstream. The little blue box plugs into your car’s ODB II diagnostic port (all cars made after 1996 have one), and studiously records your driving habits, wirelessly sending the data back to Progressive HQ (it’s not clear exactly how). Every six months, Progressive will crunch the numbers and issue a new rate for you based on how you drive — savings of up to 40 percent are possible. That’s pretty tempting, depending on your current rates and driving habits, but we’re not so sure we’re willing to share that much data for an unspecified discount — especially since we’re confident the MyRate box will get cracked almost immediately.

[Thanks, Mike; image courtesy of Aaron Landry]

Read - MyRate press release
Read - MyRate video
Read - How MyRate works

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Brother has rolled out the first of its “Professional Series” line of color inkjet all-in-one units, and these printers aren’t shackled by the traditional wired setup since it boasts wireless networking capabilities. Targeting small office home office setups as well as traditional business functions, the MFC-6490CW offers innovative tools which cannot be found on other brands, including the all-in-one features such as printing, copying, scanning and faxing up to the ledger 11″ x 17″ size. With such capabilities, you might pick up your jaw from the floor after hearing that it costs just $299.99 to bring home one of these babies.

What I find most interesting is the ability to produce 11″ x 17″ ledger-size printing and copying, endowing users with the ability to create the following :-

• Professional-looking, color business proposals
• High impact business proposals that stand out from competitors’ standard-sized documents
• Eye-catching 11-by-17-inch signage and flyers in-house, rather than having to pay a printer
• Large, complex spreadsheets on one page, with easy-to-read details
• Scanning, copying and faxing capabilities at up to 11″ x 17″ size (e.g., books, signs) via a ledger-size document glass and auto-document feeder

Other features of the MFC-6490CW include up to 50 sheet automatic document feeder, dual paper trays with up to 400 sheet total capacity, up to 35/28 ppm black/color print speed, Super G3 33.6K bps fax modem, and four separate ink cartridges (designed so the user only needs to replace the color that is empty). Each purchase comes with a two-year limited warranty, and that alone is well worth the entry price IMHO. After all, $299.99 can’t really get you that much these days, with the dollar free falling faster than a stuntman with a failed parachute. I just hope that it is up to par when it comes to performance and reliability, and hopefully the ink management system is prudent in its printing, since ink cartridges aren’t exactly the cheapest things to buy in the world.

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by Darren Murph, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 10:04AM
Look folks, just because Dyson can build a motor with enough oomph to power a vehicle, that doesn’t mean it’s actually going to. At least that’s the message a company spokesperson wants you to believe. Contrary to earlier reports, James Dyson is not looking to enter the electric automobile sector in any way, shape or fashion. Said spokesperson was quoted as saying that “James Dyson did say that [Dyson’s] new digital motor could power a car, but it is not working on, and [we] have no plans to create an electric car.” Okay, but can you at least make the Ball 2.0 street legal?

[Via AutoblogGreen, image courtesy of Telegraph]

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by Joshua Fruhlinger, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 11:42AM
If anyone is going to make a decent waterproof mp3 player this time around, it would have to be someone like the tight bathing suit-producing Speedo brand. The Speedo Aquabeat — made by Iriver — contains 1GB of storage, plays for nine hours on one charge, come in three colors, and weighs just 35 grams. So what’s so Speedo about them? These players (and earphones) are good for up to 3 meters below the surface and they float — so you can just leave the things floating about while you go mix another margarita. Retail price is $145, available now from your local Speedo dealer or high school coach — just listen for the whistle.

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by Darren Murph, posted Jun 28th 2008 at 5:33AM
Just think — Zappos has been shipping out shoes .9284 minutes after you order them for years with mere humans running the show. Now, your new kicks will likely be at your doorstep moments after you think of ordering them. Said e-tailer has just completed implementation of Kiva Systems’ Mobile Fulfillment System, which will see “a fleet of Kiva’s mobile robotic drive units and inventory storage pods” hit the company’s Shepherdsville, Kentucky facility. The move is being made to keep its distribution system in tip-top shape even with the addition of new products outside of just footwear, and unless some of those mechs grow a mind of their own, we’d say things should pan out just fine.

[Via CNET]

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