karma

TMPGEnc Karma is a well-intentioned but confusing video organizer and viewer. Although its interface attempts to be flexible, it ends up being headache-inducing.

At first glance, the program's interface looks sleek and modern, and it has some aspects that we like, such as the capability to view video files both in a list format and as thumbnails. Continued use of the program, however, results in mounting confusion, with transparency running amok. We selected a video to play, and rather than opening a separate viewing pane or window, it played beneath the transparent library file display. It turns out that … Read more

Ford is backing a federal ban on texting while driving--well, of course they are! Do you need a nanny to hang up the phone for you? GM thinks its cars and technology are good enough for a money back guarantee. And we roll in the Mercedes that looks more expensive than it is.

• Ford backs ban on driving while texting

• Mercedes S500 Plug-in Hybrid

• Frankfurt hottie: Audi R8 Spyder

• Mercedes E550 Coupe review and video

• New iPod Nano gets FM radio

Here we go again. Automaker Fisker throws its hat into the claimed mpg battleground with its announcement of the official fuel economy and emissions ratings for its Karma plug-in hybrid electric vehicle.

According to Fisker, the Karma will have an economy rating of 3.5L/100km (which works out to 67.2 mpg) and emit just 83g CO2/km, according to Society of Automotive Engineers estimates. Wait, does that mean that the Karma--a sports car that outputs 403 horsepower and hits 62 mph in an estimated six-seconds--may be more fuel efficient than the 2010 Prius.

According to Fisker:

"Fueling … Read more

When we first saw the Motorola Karma QA1, we had to do a double take to make sure it wasn't the Cricket TXTM8. Indeed, the two devices look practically alike, but they're actually quite different. The Motorola Karma is the far more sophisticated handset, with a glass screen and metal casing, compared with the Cricket TXTM8's plastic feel. It also has a lot of really great features, which include a 2.0-megapixel camera, a music player, 3G/HSDPA compatibility, a full HTML browser with Flash Lite support, and even a quick access launch bar on the home … Read more

MB Karmic Astrology gives users an analysis of their life situation and personality based on their birth date. Although the program does provide results, we're not sure that it functions exactly as it should.

The first screen of the program is cluttered with ads for Mystic Board, the program's publisher. On the next screen users enter their name and date of birth, and the program then provides the analysis. (It's worth noting that this part of the program features yellow text on a pink background, which is both hard to read and gross.) The program explains that … Read more

Motorola and AT&T have launched the Motorola Karma QA1, a new messaging phone with a slight social-networking focus.

Motorola says that you can have one-click access to Facebook and MySpace directly from the device's home screen. Of course there's also a full slide-out QWERTY keyboard for easy messaging. Other features include A-GPS, a 2.0-megapixel camera, an MP3 player, stereo Bluetooth, a 3.5-mm headset jack, a microSD card slot capable of holding up to 16GB cards, quad-band GSM, and 3G.

The Karma QA1 will be available on June 28 for $79.99 with a new two-year service agreement. … Read more

The PlayStation 3 has already had the benefit of a triple-A title this calendar year as Killzone 2 certainly helped fill a gaping hole in the console's exclusive games library. With the release of inFamous, developer Sucker Punch hopes to extend the list of quality 2009 PS3 exclusives.

We sat down for a phone interview with Sucker Punch game director Nate Fox and chatted with him about the story in inFamous and how players' actions can dictate the narrative. While most superhero games offer somewhat of a linear experience, inFamous strays from the usual pack of games by offering … Read more

Did hydrogen cars just blow up? GM's closer to unloading Saturn, but also to keeping part of it. One less GPS nav brand to contend with. And, we get a lot of stares in this week's test car.

• First look at the Nissan Cube

• Yet another EV comes out of the woodwork

• Will the 370Z go hybrid?

• Fisker Karma now has batteries

• Toshiba ruggedized auto grade hard drives

We get a first look at the new Tesla S, California may tell you what color car you can drive, Chevy's Volt reminds it is for real, and we drive a BMW diesel that will surprise you.

• First impressions of 2010 Prius

• First look at the new Tesla S

• CNET Review: BMW 335d diesel sedan

• California report on car colors

• Home brew test of car colors and heat