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CNET News.com | Tech news blog

  Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:25:00 GMT

iPhone 3G queue forms in Manhattan

The line for the Apple iPhone 3G began to form Friday--an entire week before the device goes on sale.

Frankly, one shouldn't encourage such behavior by actually covering it. But if I were in Manhattan--instead of Austin, Texas--I, too, would have interviewed them in person by now.

The queue ...

Privacy advocates praise Google"s new link

Update at 12:35 p.m. and 3:50 p.m.: Comments from privacy advocates have been added.

Google apparently decided to keep it clean, in more ways than one.

The company has made a minor change to its home page, adding a link to its copyright line that leads ...

Ask.com closes Dictionary.com deal

Ask.com, the fourth-ranked search engine, has completed its acquisition of Lexico Publishing Group, which owns Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com, and Reference.com.

Ask.com, a wholly owned subsidiary of InterActiveCorp, had announced the all-cash deal in mid-May. Financial terms of the deal, which closed Thursday, were not released. Lexico, ...

1 euro eBay baby goes home

The German baby taken from his parents after they put him up for sale on eBay for a euro--apparently as a joke--is back home, according to the Associated Press.

'The child has been returned to his parents,' prosecutor Johannes Kreuzpointer told the AP on Thursday.

The parents had told the ...

VeriSign names interim CEO

VeriSign, which runs the master database for the .com and .net domains, has replaced its CEO and president, who resigned suddenly earlier this week.

Jim Bidzos

(Credit: VeriSign)

The company said Thursday that William Roper had resigned as of Monday. Roper, who had served as CEO for just over a ...

EA debuts new family, sports games for Wii, PlayStation

With only a couple weeks to go before the 2008 E3 Media and Business Summit, video game publisher Electronic Arts is giving the press a sneak peek at its new video game lineup, including products resulting from its partnership with Hasbro.

Connect 4 on <i>Hasbro Family Night</i>

Mr. Potato Head hosts EA's game Hasbro Family

...

Daily Debrief: Celebrating America"s independence, questioning our own online

A day before the United States celebrates its independence, we continue to question our individual freedoms online. In Thursday's Daily Debrief, CNET News.com Editor in Chief Dan Farber and I discuss a federal judge'...

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  Sat, 05 Jul 2008 22:25:00 GMT

Dissolution of Mercedes-McLaren partnership confirmed

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Click for hi-res gallery of the Mercedes SLR McLaren

It's hard not to follow a story like the veritable fleet of new supercars set to follow the controversial Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The supercar came out of the partnership between Benz and McLaren in Formula One, but while the racing cars have been highly competitive, the SLR has been less so. As a result, Mercedes and McLaren are going their own separate ways for the next generation of high-performance exotica.

Mercedes, with in-house rodders AMG and its racing spin-off, HWA, is preparing two new models to succeed the SLR: the SL65 AMG Black Series (which has been spied many times over) and the SLC (which we've seen disguised in Dodge Viper bodywork). McLaren, meanwhile, is anticipated to produce the new P11 mid-engined supercar on its own, without Mercedes input. The dissolution of the car-producing enterprise between the two powerhouses is not expected to affect their joint grand prix racing program.

The last iteration of the SLR - following the original coupe, the Roadster and the 722 - will be a limited-production lightweight speedster, on which we recently reported. Despite all its available variants, Mercedes has sold fewer than 1600 examples of the SLR to date.

Gallery: 2008 Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren 722 Edition


[Source: Automotive News Europe - sub. req'd]

 

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Forbes lists top 10 family cars

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As the self-appointed family car reviewer for Autoblog, I have some opinions on the topic. If money were no object, my nomination for the ultimate family car would be split between the Mercedes-Benz R-Class and the BMW 5 Series wagon. But the R-Class entry price is $42k, and the Bimmer's is close to $50k -- not exactly family-friendly.

Forbes Magazine, however, is a bit more realistic in its quest for the perfect family car, and considers price a deciding factor, like the majority of families. I agree with its Compact Car pick. The 2009 Volkswagen Rabbit is a good deal for your $16k entry price (though Forbes says $19k). On paper, its 15 cu. ft. of cargo space doesn't sound like much, but in reality, it's bigger than it sounds. The Rabbit also averages about 25 mpg, and these days, that's a big deal.

Still, there are some Forbes picks I just don't agree with. For example, the mag selects the Saab 9-3 Sport Combi as best wagon. Really? I admit I've never driven one, but I'm just wondering where the new Jetta Sportwagen placed. (I just stepped out of reviewing one for a week.) Forbes cites the Saab's maximum 72.3 cu. ft of cargo space as a big factor. But it only bests the VeeDub's by 5.4 cu. ft. And while the VW gives up 110 horses to the Saab's 280, but the VW gets, on average, 24 mpg to the Saab's 18. Oh, and the Saab requires premium fuel. I guess the question is this: Do you want to drag race your wagon or save money? My family will take the cash, please.

Continue reading Forbes lists top 10 family cars

 

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Spy Shots: 2011 BMW 5 Series

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Now that the world has a good idea of what to expect from the next BMW 7 Series, our attention naturally turns to BMW's tweener car, the 5 Series. Spy photographers have managed to snap off a few shots of the upcoming sedan, and although it is still heavily camouflaged, some of us are already beginning to appreciate the end of the 'flame surfacing' that defined the propeller-brand's last generation of products. Instantly noticeable are the huge double-kidney grilles up front, which appear to mimic those introduced on the Concept CS sedan and featured on the new 7. Reports indicate that the 5 Series will add a fastback coupe similar in concept to the X6 to go along with the expected sedan and wagon.

The interior shots show the newly-revised iDrive system with its enlarged display. BMW still plans to cover its center-mounted navigation screen with a gigantic domed hood, and the joystick-style gear lever used in some of its current models also returns, but the iDrive controller appears to be relocated to a more natural spot forward on the console.

[Source: The Car Connection]

 

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Weak June has Toyota reviewing U.S. ops

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Toyota posted a 10% sales decline for its bread-and-butter brand of over the month of June, with numbers that are even worse -- an 11.5% drop -- when the Scion and Lexus brands are added into the equation. In response to these very un-Toyota-like sales declines, the automaker is now revamping its vehicle production in the States. Though it has already introduced measures to slow the production of full-size Tundra trucks and Sequoia SUVs, reports indicate the further cuts will be made at the San Antonio truck plant. The Indiana plant, which also produces Tundras, will see workers transferred to other lines where more popular vehicles are assembled. Even plants in Japan that export vehicles to the U.S. could be affected. Toyota is hardly used to seeing double-digit drops in sales in the U.S., so it will be interesting to see how the giant Japanese automaker responds in the months to come.

[Source: MarketWatch]

 

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Tension off-camera? Top Gear pay dustup rumored

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It should come as no surprise that Jeremy Clarkson is pulling down more cash than his Top Gear cohorts. Not only does Clarkson own a stake of the show's rights, he's more of a figurehead for the series than either James May or Richard Hammond. Clarkson has become nearly an adjective to describe any auto pundit expressing a strong opinion in a certain manner. While May and Hammond seem happy enough with their slightly-diminished status in the show hierarchy, rumors about flat-out contract rejections and threats of departure are flying behind the scenes.

James May's people state that they're not looking for parity with Clarkson's £2-million yearly earnings, but they are aiming for the best deal possible. Arlington Enterprises spokesperson, Annie Sweetbaum, has commented that nascent negotiations are progressing, and that the BBC's first offer is never the one accepted. Hamster's people dodged commenting, but we're sure his representation also aims for the fattest checks it can secure. Nobody has yet publicly threatened to take his ball and go home, but one imagines that it could come to that if no agreement can be reached. Shoot, we'd love to see what the BBC's offering; perhaps we can weasel our way into Top Gear as cheaper alternative hosts - not that we'd be any good, but with the dollar worth about three pence, getting paid in Pounds or Euros sounds pretty good to us. Thanks for the tips!

[Source: BBC]

 

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240 Alfas set World Record at Kayalami track in South Africa

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Click for a hi-res gallery of Alfa Romeo Kyalami Day

The Alfisti in South Africa turned out in droves for Alfa Romeo Kyalami Day, setting a new world record for the most Alfas on the track at once. The record - which mirrors the one set by Ferrari at Silverstone last year - required 200 vehicles, but the organizers got no fewer than 240 Alfas to hit the Kyalami circuit (former host of the South African Grand Prix) at once. Nearly 7000 visitors (excluding staff) were in attendance, while the parking lots filled up with over 2300 cars.

The day also marked the first occasion, believe it or not, when the new 8C Spider was shown in public since its unveiling back in March at the Geneva show. Unfortunately, that's likely to also be the last time the 8C Spider is in the country, as the 500 examples being produced won't be offered there. However, Fiat Auto South Africa - the country's Alfa Romeo importer - also brought out the full array of current models, along with a display of 18 classic Alfas, including one driven by JFK. Check out the images in the gallery below and the press release after the jump for more.

Gallery: Alfa Romeo Kyalami Day


[Source: Alfa Romeo]

Continue reading 240 Alfas set World Record at Kayalami track in South Africa

 

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VIDEO: Porsche Panamera caught testing in the Arctic Circle.

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The Porsche Panamera has been caught testing in Stuttgart and on the 'Ring for some time, and now you can add the Arctic Circle to the list. The forthcoming sedan is undergoing cold weather testing in one of the world's most most inhospitable places in an effort to ensure the family man's Porsche's engine will still purr even on your worst winter morning. The car's appearance looks essentially the same as it has prior spy shots, which is to say that it's still ugly, yet it's still A Porsche. With possible plans for a diesel, hybrid, V6, V8, and turbo V8 model on the table, the German automaker will likely be hanging out with Santa and Frosty for quite a while. Hit the jump to see the V8-powered Panamera as it traverses the white stuff.

Gallery: Porsche Panamera - spy shots


[Source: Inside Line]

Continue reading VIDEO: Porsche Panamera caught testing in the Arctic Circle.

 

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