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The 404 760: Where we haven't seen your pretty face in so long (podcast)

It's been so long since Natali has been on The 404 Podcast that we almost forget to call her NM instead of NDC! Fresh from her honeymoon vacation, she stays with us for the entire episode and denounces all those anti-lactivists out there! If we can eat ourselves into a studio infestation, babies should certainly have the right to do so as well.

Moving on, the city of Detroit is finally getting the RoboCop statue it deserves! The idea was spawned after residents felt they needed better representation than rapper Eminem and his ridiculous Chrysler 200 commercial.

So the city started a crowdsourced Kickstarter funding project and reached the $50,000 goal with 37 days left in the contribution window! Everyone that contributes to the fund will receive a personalized digital badge and a name placard on detroitneedsrobocop.com. "I'd fund that for a dollar!" It's the best idea we've heard in a while.

The iTunes Music Store dominates digital music sales, but Sony is taking aim at Apple with its new distribution service called Music Unlimited by Qriocity. Qriocity will feature music from all four major labels, with over 6 million tracks available to stream off Sony's music servers.… Read more

preGame 40: Killzone 3; Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (podcast)

On today's preGame it's a pair of two high-profile game demos. Join us as we play Killzone 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 live in the studio!

But first, we'll take a quick look at this past weekend's announcements regarding the PSP phone, or the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play as it's officially been named. It's not exactly the PSP phone we've been clamoring for, but it does offer some impressive features.

We're also very excited to announce a new contest for preGame viewers. By commenting on today's post, you'll be automatically entered for a chance to win one of three Nintendo DSi XL bundles that include Mario vs. Donkey Kong Mini-Land Mayhem! See below for the official rules and regulations.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OLD AND AGE OF MAJORITY IN YOUR STATE OF RESIDENCE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. SWEEPSTAKES ENDS AT 12 PM EST ON 2/22/11. SEE OFFICIAL RULES FOR DETAILS.

Want to be a part of our live taping? Make sure you head to http://cnet.com/live/pregame every Tuesday at 4 p.m. EDT.

Got an idea for preGame? E-mail us! pregame [at] cnet [dot] com.

Be sure to subscribe to the show: RSS (video) | iTunes (video)… Read more

The 260 mpg car that might actually be cool

Every time I see a concept car, I wonder why, many years later, I have still not seen anything like it on a road.

Every time I see a hybrid car, I wonder why, many years later, they are still on the road.

Thankfully, VW seems to have a psychic link to some of these concerns. For last week at a glitzy show in the motoring hotspot of Qatar, the company unveiled the Formula XL1.

If you look at this fine, silver object of grace, it is as if John DeLorean was gazing on the world from heaven and channeling … Read more

Futurist Volkswagen XL1: 261 miles per gallon

What with gasoline prices at the pump well past $3 a gallon--and edging ever higher--drivers understandably are pining for the day when technology will come to their rescue.

If you're willing to wait a couple of years, Volkswagen may have what you're waiting for.

At an auto show in Qatar this week, Volkswagen showed off a proof-of-concept car that will get 261 miles to the gallon. The XL1, a two cylinder, two-seater made from carbon fiber, is expected to go into production sometime in the next two years. If the auto's fuel efficiency lives up to the advance billing, VW likely will be able to say it makes the world's most economical car. … Read more

Samsung delivers LED monitor re-up

LAS VEGAS--In the last year or so, the Samsung PX2370 and XL2370 have set the world afire in the LED monitor space, and Samsung is not content to rest on its laurels.

Today the company announced two new slim LED monitors to follow up the X2370 line. The Samsung 550 and 350 are the new LED kids on the block and as you can see, they're both downright gorgeous.

The 550 is the more high-end solution, whereas the 350 will be offered as a lower-end LED monitor.

These LED-based monitors continue Samsung's attention to aesthetic design and functionality, … Read more

Hitachi's hard drives join the 3TB club

Only a few companies have storage solutions based on 3TB internal hard drives: Seagate's BlackArmor NAS server; Western Digital's Caviar Green; and now it's Hitachi's turn.

The company announced today its new lineup of 3TB storage solutions for both general users and OEMs. The first is the Hitachi Deskstar internal hard-drive kit, which is similar to that of WD's Caviar Green. The kit includes a 3TB Deskstar 7K3000 hard drive, mounting screws, step-by-step instructions, and software that allows 32- and 64-bit operating systems to take advantage of the full 3TB of storage.

The reason … Read more

Mario celebrates 25 years with Wii, DSi bundles

Nintendo has unveiled limited edition Wii and DSi XL bundles to mark the 25th anniversary of Super Mario Bros.

The new Wii bundle includes a "Mario-red" Wii and a copy of New Super Mario Bros. Wii.

In addition, the bundle will come with a red Wii Remote Plus, the game company's upcoming controller, which combines the functions of the Wii Remote and the Wii MotionPlus add-on. The bundle will also include a red Nunchuk controller and a copy of Wii Sports.

According to Nintendo, the limited edition bundles will be "available while supplies last." They … Read more