Via Motors E-REV hybrid trucks power your commute and the job site too (video)

Hybrid cars have officially jumped the shark, boring drivers from coast to coast as they smugly hypermile wherever they're going. Meanwhile, those with big trucks have been relatively out of luck, having to stop frequently for gas -- and to scrape the remains of those little hybrids out of their fender wells. That's changing soon, with Via Motors taking its rebranded Chevy trucks (dig that flying V on the grille) and offering them to fleets in 2011, with sales to individuals coming two years later (you can get in line now for $1,000 down). Big companies like, apparently, PG&E will be able to roll in these so-called E-REV trucks that offer either 20 or 40 miles of electric range, augmented by an onboard generator. Yes, it's a series hybrid layout similar in theory to the Volt, with the internal combustion engine charging the batteries which, in turn, send juice to the 268hp motor. Interestingly, though, that generator can power other things as well, providing 120 or 240V to tools, lights, maybe even hot tubs if you're a super cool contractor. No word on anticipated vehicle cost nor efficiency, but we're not expecting miracles on either front.

Continue reading Via Motors E-REV hybrid trucks power your commute and the job site too (video)

Via Motors E-REV hybrid trucks power your commute and the job site too (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:40:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Feeding Your E-Book Habit: Feedbooks

So I had this series all laid out in my mind. Start with borrowing current books, then into free books, and finally into sources for paid books. Thing is, Feedbooks has mucked it up by adding a store for selling e-books. I have been a big Feedbooks fan for years. They are a great source [...]

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The world's first shipped RED EPIC gets stolen in home break-in (update: $100k reward now offered!)

Remember just earlier this month when OffHollywood studio head Mark Pederson became the first man to own a RED EPIC? Well, now his $58,000 über camera is gone. According to REDUSER forums, the EPIC was heisted last night along with some cash from Pederson's chalet in France while he and his family were sleeping. Pederson shares on the forum that "there was a forced entry through the front door. The thieves actually entered the master bedroom while my in-laws were sleeping, and standing a foot from their bed - emptied wallet and purse. There were 6 children and 8 adults sleeping in the house." That's a scary caper worthy of a Hollywood script for sure, but thankfully no one was hurt. Here's hoping the movie-like storyline continues now with law enforcement gumshoes actually cracking the case. In the meantime, maybe Peter Jackson can lend Pederson one of his 30 RED EPICs until his own baby returns.

Update: We just got word that RED honcho Jim Jannard is offering $100,000 to anyone who can provide information leading to the recovery of the device and a conviction of the thieves. In his words (from the RED forums): "We are now offering $100,000 for the safe return of EPIC #00006 and the rest of the system including the media with Mark's files... and the arrest and conviction of those that broke into Mark's chalet in France. We will ONLY pay this amount if there is an arrest and conviction of the parties as we are not interested to be ransomed by thieves." Now that is seriously putting your money where your mouth is!

[Thanks, Derek and Cory]

The world's first shipped RED EPIC gets stolen in home break-in (update: $100k reward now offered!) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 10:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The Top Scientific Breakthroughs of 2010 [Science]

In a year full of major advances, over-hyped findings and controversial studies, it was tough to choose which breakthroughs were the biggest in 2010. So we've collected the ones that stood out the most to us. More »

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Buildor Pro Web-authoring tool invites 300 Download Squad readers to early beta

Buildor Pro is a fantastic authoring tool for Web developers. It lets you inspect and tweak each element on an existing page -- much like Firebug, in a way, but not exactly. You can also use it to create entirely new designs and very quick mock-ups. What's interesting about it is that it manages to be browser-based and visual at the same time. Of course, coders don't always like to do everything visually, so Buildor Pro also lets you enter your markup directly and see it in real-time on the page.

Rather than wax poetic about the application, I've decided to show you an 8-minute video by James Law, Buildor Pro's creator. In the video you can watch James use Download Squad's new look as a template and add on new content. But that's not all: Buildor Pro extended an invitation to the closed beta for the first 300 Download Squad readers who use this link to sign up!

If you do any sort of Web development work, Buildor Pro is definitely worth a look.

Continue reading Buildor Pro Web-authoring tool invites 300 Download Squad readers to early beta

Buildor Pro Web-authoring tool invites 300 Download Squad readers to early beta originally appeared on Download Squad on Thu, 09 Dec 2010 15:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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McDonalds hacked, customer database stolen, your burger preference now in the wild

Don't worry, this one isn't quite as bad as the Gawker hack: McDonalds -- and over 100 other firms -- have had their marketing databases compromised, and summarily stolen. An email marketing company called Silverpop is to blame for the breach -- and fortunately, 'only' real names, interests and email addresses were breached; no passwords, and no Social Security or credit card numbers were stolen.

While McDonalds is probably the biggest name on the list, it seems the creative users of deviantART are also affected -- and a brief look at Silverpop's site suggests it might have upset some other very big names, such as Mazda and the banking giant Santander.

There's no information about how the hack was achieved, but the FBI has said that the attack originated from outside the US. In all likelihood, the attack was probably carried out by spammers, or the operatives of spammers. An email address database the size of Silverpop's would sell for millions.

McDonalds hacked, customer database stolen, your burger preference now in the wild originally appeared on Download Squad on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 07:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scientists Wield Wiimote To Measure Evaporation

Consumer technology is advancing at such a rate that it is becoming increasingly common for such technology to find its way into various scientific applications. One of the more obvious examples is seen in the benefits high-performance computing has received from consumer graphics cards. We have also seen laptops used to measure earthquakes, and accelerometers [...]

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AOL spent more than $300 million on distributing free sign-up CDs

AOL used to be king of the dial-up hill. At its peak, over 26.7 million households accessed the Internet via AOL, a figure that no American ISP has ever surpassed. That success came at a cost, though: those CDs (and floppy disks!) that arrived in your letterbox, often on a weekly basis, cost AOL over $300 million.

The data comes from Quora, a service that is fast becoming the go-to place for juicy, 'insider' information. Someone asked about AOL's distribution costs, and in mere moments, both the CEO-at-the-time, Steve Case, and the former Chief Marketing Officer, Jan Brandt, had chimed in with authoritative responses. Case recalls, that in the hay day of the mid-1990s, AOL was quite content to spend $35 on obtaining a new subscriber. Brandt, responding a little bit later, provided a total cost of "over $300 million," for the distribution of the CDs. She went on to provide a shocking statistic: "At one point, 50% of the CDs produced worldwide had an AOL logo on it." Shocking, but... sadly rather believable.

AOL spent more than $300 million on distributing free sign-up CDs originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 28 Dec 2010 06:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Gigabyte slips out Atom N550-based M1005, Q2005 netbooks

We're guessing we'll see a more official announcement about these soon enough, but for now we'll have to make do with some product pages that have quietly turned up on Gigabyte's website for two new Atom N550-based netbooks: the M1005 and Q2005. As Netbook News notes, the latter of those (pictured above) looks to be remarkably similar to the Jolicloud Jolibook, also based on the same dual-core N550 processor, while the M1005 appears to be a relatively minor update to the company's M1022 model, right down to the same docking station (check it out after the break). Still no indication of pricing or availability for either of them, but you can find the complete specs for each at the links below.

Continue reading Gigabyte slips out Atom N550-based M1005, Q2005 netbooks

Gigabyte slips out Atom N550-based M1005, Q2005 netbooks originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 02:10:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Android Watchers See Thunderbolts on Verizon's Horizon

Verizon Wireless will reportedly unveil the HTC Thunderbolt 4G Android smartphone at the Consumer Electronics Show, to be held in Las Vegas next week. This could be one of several new Android devices for the carrier's 4G LTE network. LTE devices will be available by mid-2011, and the lineup will consist of smartphones and tablets, Verizon Wireless spokesperson Jeffrey Nelson told TechNewsWorld.

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Why did Pluto lose its planet status? Because it never mattered enough

It's kind of hard to accept, Pluto has always been our favorite underdog, but the truth is that the Solar System's ninth planet was never really significant enough to earn that designation. Such is the coldly logical reason given for its removal from the planetary annals by a man who had a lot to do with its demise. Caltech astronomer Mike Brown discovered Eris, what he'd hoped was the tenth planet, back in 2005, but its extreme distance from the Sun and diminutive (by planetary standards) dimensions disqualified it from consideration. Unfortunately, its discovery is what doomed Pluto to be downgraded to a "dwarf planet," though Mike's not shedding too many tears over it. In fact, he's gone and written a book about the whole thing, the smug planet destroyer that he is. You don't have to buy it to learn more, however, as the source link has an interview with Mike all ready and waiting.

Why did Pluto lose its planet status? Because it never mattered enough originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 30 Dec 2010 08:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trillian for Android review -- not quite worth your money yet

Earlier this week, Trillian, one of the oldest third-party IM client developers, released its Android app. I've always found Trillian a bit gimicky -- kind of like a 'Super Mega' Windows Live Messenger, with more bells and whistles than I really need, and a bloated, hard-to-navigate UI as a result.

Trillian for Android, I'm sad to say, is no better. Ultimately, it's functional but it feels like the shedding of its beta moniker was more than a little hasty. If that wasn't bad enough, it'll cost you $5 from the Android Market.

Continue reading Trillian for Android review -- not quite worth your money yet

Trillian for Android review -- not quite worth your money yet originally appeared on Download Squad on Tue, 21 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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This Year, Apple Has Two Fangs To Suck The Blood Out Of CES: iPad 2 And Verizon iPhone

Every year, it seems the buzz starts building around now for CES, the giant consumer electronics expo in Las Vegas. And every year at CES, much of the buzz seems to be around the one company that isn't there ? perhaps the most important consumer electronics company these days: Apple. And this year will be no different. Except that this year, the CES buzz-kill may be more intensified as there are not one, but two key Apple products expected to be announced shortly after the expo: the iPad 2 and the Verizon iPhone.

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Olympus XZ-1 and other pre-CES camera rumors from Sony and Panasonic

It's no secret that CES is the stage from which camera companies unleash more compact shooters than you can shake a tripod at -- and preceding those come a glut of rumors, naturally. 4/3 Rumors has heard Olympus will unveil the XZ-1 (pictured), which boasts the LX5's 10 megapixel sensor and a none-too-shabby 28-112mm f/1.8-2.5 lens. The site also heard that a few Panasonic model numbers that at this point really don't tell too grand a story: DMC-S1 and S3, DMC-TS3, FH2, and FH5. Meanwhile at Sony Alpha Rumors, the eponymous company will reportedly launch a number of compact cameras (go figure) including a Cybershot DSC-HX1 successor, some new Bloggies, and new 2D and 3D video recorders... and though no Alpha and no NEX models will be on the show floor, the site is also suggesting the future NEX-7 and Alpha A77 models have 1080p60 AVCHD and a 0.1-second autofocus. Latter tidbit notwithstanding, we'd wager by mid-January everything else here will be either confirmed or forgotten.

Olympus XZ-1 and other pre-CES camera rumors from Sony and Panasonic originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 20:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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