focus

The computer industry has spent much time obsessing over how to make things smaller. Teensy smartphones. Thin tablets. Itty-bitty USB drives. InFocus is saying, "Screw that!" and going big with its new Mondopad.

As the name suggests, the Mondopad is a honking big tablet. This is 55 inches of HD tablet that can go up on a wall or hang out on a stand. It's so big you'll be cleaning hand prints rather than fingerprints off of the glass.

I know what you're thinking. This could be awesome for gaming. I'm sorry to break it to you, but it has a different purpose in life.

The Mondopad's aim is to drain the boring out of business meetings. It features a multitouch display, video conferencing, a 720p video camera, Wi-Fi, and soundbar speakers. It can act as a whiteboard, browse the Web, or display PowerPoint presentations, Word docs, and other typical business-y sorts of files.… Read more

The 2012 Ford Focus and Explorer models will have quieter cabins thanks to new laser inspection technology.

Ford today announced it is investing $100 million to install robotic plant laser inspection technology to better attach doors and other large panels to vehicles. A tighter fit equals less cabin noise, Ford said.

The new laser inspection will be used at the at Michigan Assembly Plant and the Saarlouis, Germany, plant, both plants build the 2012 Ford Focus. And then at the Chicago Assembly Plant, which builds the 2012 Ford Explorer.

According to Ford, robots are programmed to recognize any minute deviations … Read more

Ford wants the action of plugging in a new Ford EV to have an intuitive feel. The automaker today announced it has standardized the location of charge points on the Focus Electric and C-MAX Energi to the left front fender.

"After benchmarking multiple competitive vehicles, we found there wasn't much consistency in charge port location," said Susan Curry, Ford Electrified Vehicle Technology Integration supervisor. "We wanted to give customers a location that made the most sense for them and would seem as simple as filling up at the gas station."

According to Ford, EV owners … Read more

EVs: They crash well, but will their sales crash, too? Dr. Dre now fits in your dash. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is for sale. And we take you for a run in the 2012 Ford Focus.

Solid crash test results on Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt

EVs, hybrids, and the rest will be maybe 10 percent of car sales by 2016

Driving on this highway could actually make energy

Interview with screenwriter of Fast Five

CNET reviews the 2012 Ford Focus Titanium… Read more

The new Ford Focus is a completely different car than what you are imagining right now. It descends clearly from the Euro/Global Focus the rest of the world has been quite fond of and there's plenty of reason for the U.S. to fawn as well. But it's not perfect. Brian Cooley takes you for a drive to check the tech.

(You can also read CNET's full review of the 2012 Ford Focus.)

Links from Thursday's episode of Loaded:

Google launches an online quarterly magazine

Apple pulls an app that offended many people by claiming it could "cure" homosexuality

The new Ford Focus will use AT&T Wireless to send and receive car data

The New York Times asks Twitter to remove an account that gives a free feed of its articles in preparation for its paywall

The music from the upcoming British royal wedding will be available for download just hours after the ceremony

Research In Motion agrees to disallow … Read more

The Ford Focus Electric will use the embedded AT&T wireless connection to send and receive data about the car, Ford announced today.

Through the new MyFord Mobile smartphone app, owners will be able to plan trips, monitor their vehicle's state of charge, locate charging stations, remotely lock/unlock doors, use a built-in GPS system to locate the car and receive alerts.

"With a wireless connection, we're putting battery charge and vehicle range information, along with an interactive, data-driven trip planning app, directly at the fingertips of our customers," said Ed Pleet, product and business … Read more

The Pomodoro technique is a time management methodology based on the idea that using a timer to break work down into 25-minute segments with breaks in between enhances alertness and focus. Focus Booster is a free tool for implementing the Pomodoro technique. (OK, we know you're wondering: "Pomodoro" is Italian for tomato, a legacy of the tomato-shaped kitchen timer the technique's creator used as a student.)

Focus Booster automatically installs Adobe AIR, which basically lets you run Web apps on your desktop without a browser. Focus Booster is a very simple tool, more like a widget … Read more

Ford today celebrated the opening of the most flexible plant the company operates. The Michigan Assembly Plant (MAP) has been designed to build gasoline-powered, battery electric, hybrid electric, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles on the same line. The plant assembles the new Ford Focus, and will begin producing the Focus Electric later this year.

In December, the company announced an investment of $550 million to remodel the assembly plant.

According to a Ford statement, the Wayne, Mich., plant "features an environmentally friendly workplace with flexible manufacturing capability."

"MAP epitomizes the best of what Ford stands for--fuel efficiency, … Read more