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Got a lot of email from you about turbos and superchargers, the purposes and differences of each. Not surprising, since there are a lot of both showing up in all kinds of cars these days, not just in hot rides. So this week we lay out the difference by walking you through some cutaway engines.

We're pretty smart about the data on our computers and phones these days, but most people do not give enough thought to the fact that … Read more

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- A headphone "club" meeting in Babylon on April 20.

- Amazon extends AutoRip to vinyl records.

- Happy Audiophiliac April! To celebrate, here's what the Head-fi crew did to Steve.

- Follow Steve Guttenberg on Twitter.… Read more

Not long ago, The New York Times published an article exploring the likelihood of a solar storm hitting Earth. I didn't get around to reading it, but I probably don't need to now that I've discovered Times Haiku.

The site recasts Times stories in the traditional short poetry form of three phrases containing 5, 7, and 5 syllables. It offers this poetic summary of the solar-storm article: Only rarely does/a giant solar blast fly/directly at Earth. Well, phew.

Jacob Harris, a Times senior software architect, created the site between his more serious endeavors -- building news-driven sites for events like the November election. His original algorithm checks the paper's home page every few minutes for new articles, then scans each sentence looking for complete sentences that fit the haiku pattern. The software does this using a list of words and their syllable counts; if it spots a word it doesn't know, it skips to the next sentence and logs the unknown words to a database. … Read more

The New York auto show marks the last of the big, new model unveilings until the fall, and this year features some remarkable unveilings, along with a hefty helping of SUVs. Where many recent auto shows focused on electric cars and efficiency, this show reflects the northeast of the U.S., and buyers' preference for SUVs and all-wheel-drive cars.

One notable SUV making its first appearance here is the Range Rover Sport, an urbanized version of the new Range Rover that appeared last year. Land Rover notes that the New York area is its biggest market for the Range Rover … Read more

This week our Car Tech team was on-hand at the 2013 New York auto show, busily scouring the floors in order to bring you the best from the event, here in video format.

1. 2014 Kia Soul

The 2014 Kia Soul is the surprise of the 2013 New York auto show and a hit of the "box on wheels" movement, plus it comes stacked with some nifty tech.

If you've got an idea for a great app that encourages increased fuel economy, Ford might have a check with your name on it. The American automaker has announced that it is sponsoring a $50,000 Personalized Fuel Efficiency App Challenge to mobile and Web-app developers.

Apps that meet the challenge should make use of data from Ford's Android-powered OpenXC platform, which is able to send over a dozen different measurements from the host vehicle to connected third-party hardware and software in real-time, including the steering angle, GPS position, and vehicle speed. Challenge apps will be judged on … Read more

NEW YORK--When Subaru updated its Impreza for the 2012 model year, enthusiast were left wondering when a WRX version would follow. Here at the 2013 New York International Auto Show, the wait wasn't over, but Subaru did hint at its WRX development work.

At the show, Subaru pulled the covers off the WRX concept, a sedan with fastback styling.

Although a concept, the car looks almost production-ready. Its LED headlights would likely not make it to production, but the body style is something Subaru could pull off.

The company released no specifications at the unveiling of the concept, but … Read more

Working to keep an edge on the mapping front, Google announced today that it's boosting Google Maps' live transit feature. Now, users can see several subway and bus live departure times in New York and Salt Lake City and service alerts for Washington, D.C.'s Metrorail.

"We want to make sure you have access to the most comprehensive, accurate, and useful information when you're on the go -- and that includes public transportation," Soufi Esmaeilzadeh, Google Maps partnership development manager, said in a blog post today. "With these updates -- part of the millions … Read more

NEW YORK--Toyota's soccer-mom-mobile gets an infusion of cabin tech, modernized safety features, and an updated sense of style with the debut of the 2014 Toyota Highlander midsize SUV at the New York International Auto Show.

With the previous generation pushing seven years old, the Highlander was very much in need of an update. Also, the SUV still seats up to eight passengers across its three rows or seven passengers when equipped with the optional second-row captain's chairs. Both configurations benefit from increased interior volume for passengers and cargo thanks to a new, double-wishbone rear suspension that removes the … Read more