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Plug-in hybrids: 100 miles per gallon or 59?

Plug-in hybrids have emerged as the favorite form of transportation for reducing greenhouse gases in the near term, but calculating their energy efficiency can be a little complicated.

Plug-ins won't conk out after 130 to 200 miles, like electric cars, and they don't require major technological breakthroughs, like hydrogen cars. Converting a Prius to a plug-in hybrid costs about $10,000 to $15,000 now--that's part of the reason only about 50 exist--but if car manufacturers decide to make these at the factory, the additional cost may only run $6,000 or so, say proponents. That'… Read more

Use the Force turn signal, Luke

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there were nowhere near as many in-car distractions as there are these days. However, unlike cell phones and DVD players, here's one almost anyone will welcome with open arms.

The Star Wars Talking Dashboard Statues (take your pick from Darth Vader, Yoda, and C3PO) are one of the latest offerings from ThinkGeek. The awesomeness is priced at $9.99 per statue.

Part hula girl, part spiritual GPS guide, the statues blurt out famous Star Wars quotes every time you press a button on its base or hit a pothole. … Read more

X prize for autos: The fine print

When the X Prize Foundation announced that it was going to give an award to inventors who can get 100 miles a gallon and win a cross-country race, I thought "so what?"

Full-electric cars like the ones coming from Think and Tesla Motors top that, and so do the hydrogen vehicles that DaimlerChrysler says it will release in 2012 to 2105. Plug-in hybrids also get 100 miles per gallon.

You could even load up a Winnebago with a bunch of lithium-ion batteries and go for the victory. (Such a stunt could also mean dying in a fireball after … Read more

Report: Plaxo to unveil social network on Monday

If two months' worth of perpetual hype and hearsay about Facebook have given you social-networking fatigue, it might be time to chug an energy drink--looks like we will see another serious entry into the field on Monday.

Launched by contact and schedule management service Plaxo, this will apparently be a sort of midpoint between the strictly business LinkedIn and the still-full-of-frat-party-photos Facebook.

The rumors started, as they often do, with a single blog post from a well-read blogger. After attending the "Lunch 2.0" event at Facebook's offices last week, Robert Scoble started up a minifirestorm of … Read more

Trillian: First Look

Trillian's all-in-one instant messaging client made its name by offering chat-happy users a single account where they could connect with friends from all the major IM networks. While the popularity of some networks it supports has dwindled, Trillian has only improved.

Check out Trillian's moves in the First Look video below, or see how it stacks up to competing all-in-one IM clients in a CNET video with Neha Tiwari.

Security researchers warn of LinkedIn exploit

Sometimes, it pays not to be linked in. Ignorance is bliss.

Security researchers are reporting a public exploit has been designed that could take advantage of critical security flaws in the LinkedIn Internet Explorer Toolbar.

The vulnerabilities do not apply to the Linkedin.com Web site, only the LinkedIn IE toolbar.

Users of the LinkedIn social-networking site that have the IE toolbar installed on their computers could be at risk of a remote attack, should they visit a malicious Web site, according to a posting by VDA Labs' Jared DeMott and Justin Seitz, who discovered the flaws.

The security flaws … Read more

Fluid Mask 3 stands on its own

Vertus, the Boston-based developer of technology designed to ease the selection of specific elements in a digital photo, has released version 3 of its Fluid Mask software, the first time the product has been able to run as a standalone application and not just as a Photoshop plug-in.

Fluid Mask 3, costing $239, attempts to reproduce some of the human mind's ability to naturally distinguish an element from its background, a task that's tricky when backgrounds are complicated or the element's border isn't well defined. The common but notorious example is hair.

The new version includes … Read more

Sony, Nielsen collaborate on in-game advertising metrics

Sony Computer Entertainment America has joined forces with ratings mogul Nielsen to develop a measurement system for the nascent in-game advertising industry, according to a joint release from the two companies on Monday.

Sony will now share its game network data from the PlayStation 3 console as well as the PlayStation Network (which encompasses its new virtual world, PlayStation Home). Nielsen will then combine this with its game usage data, which currently encompasses the activities of more than 12,000 U.S. households. Then, beginning this fall, Nielsen will begin tracking audience statistics and user activity through its GamePlay Metrics system, … Read more

Canon unveils three new printers

Canon announced three new additions to its printer lineup today--two home inkjet all-in-ones and one standalone photo printer. The two inkjets are part of the Pixma line: the Pixma MP470 and the Pixma MP210. The $100 MP470 offers 4,800x1,200 dpi color printing with 2pL droplets, 2,400x4,800 dpi scans, a 1.8-inch color LCD, and a USB 2.0 connection. Using its built-in memory card reader and PictBridge port, you can print photos without touching your PC. The PictBridge port also doubles as a USB port for the optional Bluetooth adapter that lets you print wirelessly. The … Read more

Battery maker for electric cars retools

Valence Technology won't go it alone.

The company, which is angling to sell lithium ion battery markets to vehicle makers, has signed a licensing deal with Lishen Battery Stock Co. to help it gets its batteries quicker to market, said CEO Bob Kanode in a recent interview with News.com

Under the deal, Valence will sell its lithium powder to Lishen. Lishen in turn make battery cells out of the material and sell them back to Valence. Valence will then take the cells and make battery packs that it will sell for use in electric cars, military vehicles or … Read more