Coda EV heading into production this week

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Transportation,

The biggest turn off in buying an electric vehicle for most is the sticker price. Some, like the Fisker Karma, hover at six figures, and other like the Tesla cars range from $50,000 onward to $100,000, which is priced well above most pocketbooks. That leaves room for only a few EVs to choose from in the $30,000 neighborhood, primarily the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi I. If these two don’t float your boat, there is a new contender entering the market outta California.

The company is called Coda Automotive, and it's set to roll out a new 5-passenger EV. The company is based out of Los Angeles, California, and its EV plant is in Benicia. The car is priced reasonably at $35,200.

Buyers will have the option of choosing five exterior colors, two wheel designs, and those lucky enough to be within the first 500 customers will get cars that feature limited-edition accents, signifying they’re on of the first Coda vehicles to hit the road.

Click to continue reading Coda EV heading into production this week

Read More | CNet

Win a chance to drive an Audi R8 for a day

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Transportation, Videos,

Decisions, decisions, decisions! Would you take an Audi R8 delivered to your doorstep to ride around for a day, or go to Audi Sportscar Experience in Sonoma, California? These are the decisions 8 lucky winners will have to make after winning Audi’s #WantAnR8 Twitter campaign.

This is Audi’s second year running with the event, and the contest closes on October 29th.  “Audi is splitting the campaign into four entry periods, with two winners from each period,” Autoblog reports. Last year over 75,000 hashtags were used in the campaign, we’re not sure what the odds of winning are, but you can bet we’ll be hashtagging like crazy to win. #WantAnR8. See?

Read More | Autoblog

Western Digital My Passport portable storage line hits 2TB

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Storage, USB,

Western Digital has announced the availability of its new My Passport line, which tops out at 2 TB of storage. Yup, you read right, 2TB. WD VP Jim Welsh went on the record saying, "It's the perfect blend of monstrous capacity, reliability and user-friendly technology in a sleek form factor." Also, the storage devices come in five colors, so you can have your storage device color coordinate with your shoes, if that’s a selling factor for you. The hard-drives are priced at $250 and feature USB 3.0 for quick transfers. There are other sizes as well, if 2TB is overkill. Pricing is as follows: $129.99 for 500 GB, $149.99 for 750 GB, $179.99 for 1 TB, $199.99 for 1.5 TB, and $249.99 for the new 2 TB edition. Check out the entire line on Amazon. You can read more from the press release after the jump.

Click to continue reading Western Digital My Passport portable storage line hits 2TB

Newly redesigned Volkswagen Beetle attracts male buyers

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Design, Transportation,

Let’s face it, the New Beetle wasn’t much of an attention grabber. It came off as cute, girly, and flowery, and as such, it lacked in sales to the male population. But Volkswagen wanted to change that, so they redesigned the New Beetle to be more manly and appealing across the board. They have succeeded.

Volkswagen has reported that male sales for the Beetle are up to 43%, which is a staggering improvement from the 29% of the New Beetles from years past. Also, many dudes, according to VW, have showed an interest in the diesel version of the Beetle, which is due some time in 2013. Also, along with the redesign, VW’s ads have also had a male focused vibe, which is also an aiding factor in their sales.

With this being said, it leaves us with one question to ask our male readers, would you buy the new VW Beetle? If so, why or why not? And, ladies - does the new design turn you off? Leave your comments below.

Sprint looking to roll out Windows Phone 8 LTE device?

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Smartphones, Handhelds, Microsoft, Rumors,

Sprint has recently announced that it plans on moving into the LTE market, finally recognizing that WiMAX isn't the place to be long-term. Now, don't get your hopes up of it launching anytime soon...you might want to sit back down and grab a cup of coffee and wait.

Sprint will be carrying a new LTE device powered by Qualcomm’s MSM8960 Snapdragon, however it remains a mystery as to which OEM will be producing the device. Our bet is that it will be Nokia, as Sprint is planning on adding a Windows Phone 8 device to its line up. Now given that info, since Windows 8 is set to release at the end of the year, we don’t except Sprint to roll out its LTE network until that timeframe, in limited markets.

Read More | SprintFeed

Freightliner Revolution Innovation aimed to change the world of trucking

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Transportation,

The world of trucking has been a familiar industry for me, as most of my family is involved with it in one way or another. I've even got a cousin who would fit well into the show “Shipping Wars,” seen on A&E, and along with my father and many uncles who do long haul driving. Freightliner recently unveiled its newest concept truck, dubbed the Revolution Innovation, which they’re aiming for production. It’s the truck of this decade and the future, they claim. Though the design and said functionality of the truck is cool, there are many things I see becoming a nuisance and hindrance on the road.

For instance, the Revolution only features one entry point, throwing out the passenger-side door. They eliminated the passenger door, as their research shows it's rarely used. Though we’re not trying to argue with Freightliner’s research, passengers do ride along at times, and the passenger door is used for other things as well. Along with other major redesign changes from the conventional, there are a few good things they’ve changed, such as the user interface with the truck. In all, the design of the truck is cool, but in the long run we don’t see some of its practicality. You be the judge by watching the video above.

Angry Birds take over Seattle’s Space Needle

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Misc. Tech, Video Games,

For those that live in Seattle, you might have noticed the bird-like tumor growing on the Space Needle. Upon closer examination, you'll realize it's an Angry Bird. You might be asking yourself, what's going on? Well, it’s all for the sake of marketing.

The popular mobile game, Angry Birds, has taken over our phones, toys, apparel, a racing team, and now the city of Seattle. The 35-foot suspended bird, held by a T-Mobile slingshot, is a part of a marketing scheme to promote the newly themed game, Angry Birds Space, which was released on March 22.

Peter Vesterback went on the record saying, “We wanted to do all things space and Seattle is famous for the Space Needle, so that’s why we’re here.”

Sadly, the bird won't be launched from the Space Needle, but nevertheless, it stirred up quite a bit of media buzz around the Emerald City.

Read More | Seattle PI

Velib and Autolib: Bike and car sharing changing the way Paris gets around

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Transportation, Videos,

Paris is one of the trend-setting cities of the world when it comes to fashion and delicious food. However, when it comes to personal transportation, like all metropolitan cities in Europe, it's better to walk than drive. However, soon that may all be changing, as Vélib' and Autolib' launched their ride-share programs. Vélib' features over 20,000 bikes, and Autolib' currently features 250 cars and is expected to grow to over 3,000 cars, by next year. The rental prices range from $12-21 an hour. Not a bad alternative to mass transit. Check out the video above to see how it works.

Read More | Autoblog

Ten One Design Magnus Magnetic iPad Stand review

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Accessories, Apple, Features, Handhelds, Product Reviews,

The Apple Smart Cover is a convenient way to protect the display of your iPad, and can also double as a simple stand. However, there are times where you'd prefer to have something a little more sturdy, and a little more elegant, and that's where something like the Ten One Design Magnus Magnetic Stand for iPad comes in. The Magnus is a magnetic stand that works with the new iPad, as well as with the iPad 2, and even the original. I was able to get my hands on one and have been testing it for a bit. It's really a simply-but-elegant product, so there isn't much to it. How does it work, and will it fit in with your workflow? Head on down for our full review of the Magnus to find out!

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Toyota 86 (Scion FR-S) price announced, only to disappoint, at $24,930

Posted by Andrey Malskiy Categories: Corporate News, Editorial, Transportation,

There has been much hype surrounding the Toyota 86 (Scion FR-S for the U.S.) and the Subaru BRZ after both vehicles hit the assembly line a few days ago. Much of the speculation was that the car was going to be a game changer for both manufacturers. On Toyota’s side, they would finally have a proper sports car after killing their legendary Supra (our fingers are still crossed in hopes Toyota will bring it back.) On other side of the field, Subaru has given up their claim to fame in only producing all-wheel-drive vehicles, as the BRZ is a rear-wheel drive coupe. But personally, the biggest blow is the price tag attached to the Toyota 86--$24,930.

Let’s be real here, with a sticker price in the mid $20s, the Toyota 86 doesn’t hold a candle to some its competitors. In the neighborhood of $25,000 you have plenty of other options. If you’re looking for a bit more room and functionality, you can pick up a Volkswagen Golf GTI, which starts at $23,995. If you’re looking for a thrill and all weather functionality, you have the Subaru WRX, which starts at $25,595.

Now if you’re wondering what the BRZ will be priced at, it’ll cost even more without a doubt. But Subaru has not yet released their price on the coupe. Unless you’re a diehard for a coupe, the BRZ’s price point is just illogical, not too mention that for $24,250 you can get a coupe that’ll run circles around the T86 and BRZ all day long. Wondering what that is? The newly redesigned Hyundai Genesis, featuring 274 horses. This, in our opinion is a better buy in the current sports coupe market.