plug-ins

Word from the LA Times is that Google plans to phase out its Gears plug-in in favor of HTML5 when it comes to augmenting browser abilities. The precise details of its enthusiasm for the plug-in aren't clear yet, but the general trajectory is no surprise.

Google, along with Mozilla, Opera, Apple, and some other allies, has been agitating for features that can make browsers and the Web into a more powerful foundation for Web sites and Web applications. Gears was an early Google effort in this area.

But Gears emerged in 2007--back before Google released a browser of its own, … Read more

Quake Live plug-in (Firefox) is, as the name suggests, a Firefox plug-in that allows users to play Quake Live online from within Firefox. Although there's not much to the plug-in itself, it does effectively give users access to this first-person-shooter game.

Upon going to the Quake Live Web site, users are prompted to download the plug-in if it's not already installed in their copy of Firefox. We had no trouble creating a Quake Live account and beginning the game; the graphics looked great and everything seemed to operate as it should. There's not much else to say … Read more

A group of CEOs on Monday came out favor of a regional roll-out of electric vehicles in up to eight cities to demonstrate the viability of the technology and incubate the fledgling industry.

The Electricifcation Coalition held a press conference in Washington, D.C. and released an Electrification Roadmap, which prescribes the business and policy steps required to ramp up electric vehicle adoption.

There are 13 members of the coalition, including the CEOs of Nissan Motor, FedEx, Pacific Gas & Electric, and battery maker A123 Systems. The coalition was spun out of Securing America's Future Energy, a lobbying group … Read more

Automakers don't want people to feel like driving electric means radical changes. CNET News reporter Martin LaMonica talks about what they're doing to make the transition easier for consumers. That, plus Sprint continues to bleed customers, Nintendo unveils a supersized version of the DSi, and much more.

Today's stories:

Sprint losses and customer defections continue

Motorola sees small third-quarter profit

Amazon lets shoppers pay with a phrase

DSi LL: Nintendo supersizes its gaming handheld

Kaspersky tool detects malware in Twitter links

Microsoft puts its 'signature' on PCs

Plug-in electric cars: New technology, familiar feel

Winking robot nav head knows where you're going… Read more

In the past few weeks, I've had an opportunity to experience the cutting edge in plug-in electric vehicle technology. In some cases, you'd think you're just driving a regular car.

The bulk of production plug-in electric vehicles available now are either utility trucks, small cars that top out at 25 miles per hour, or the pricey Tesla Roadster sports car. Now automakers are building plug-in sedans and SUVs with lithium ion batteries designed for the mass market.

Judging from the cars I've driven, automakers are trying to strike a balance between enticing consumers with new technology … Read more

Upstart carmaker Fisker Automotive on Tuesday said it will purchase a plant in Wilmington, Del., to make a plug-in hybrid sedan.

The facility, which used to be a General Motors factory, will begin manufacturing a plug-in hybrid in late 2012, which the company expects will cost almost $40,000 after federal tax credits. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden and Delaware Gov. Jack Markell are scheduled to speak at an announcement ceremony on Tuesday morning.

Production of Fisker's "family-oriented" car, called Project Nina, will result in 2,000 factory jobs. The company anticipates making 75,000 to … Read more

DETROIT--For plug-in electric cars, it's no longer a question of if. It's a question of when and how.

After many years of buildup, plug-in vehicles aimed at mainstream buyers are set to come to the market starting next year. But even with the momentum around plug-ins, many questions remain unanswered over how this technology transition will impact the ailing auto industry and how the cars will received by consumers.

"You have the feeling that we're at the beginning of something that could be very special," said David Cole, the chairman of the Center for Automotive Research, … Read more

The Society of Automotive Engineers International, the organization that sets the standard for aerospace and automotive industry technology, will vote this week to make the SAE J1772 charging system and coupler the standard connection for plug-in vehicles, according to a General Motors executive.

Britta Gross, director of GM's Global Energy Systems, shared the news during a live Web chat at GM's Fastlane blog on Tuesday evening.

"As Jon Lauckner said this morning, the Volt comes with a 120-V charger and if you can find a normal outlet, you can charge the Volt," Gross said.

She went … Read more

DETROIT--There's a great deal of interest from consumers in plug-in vehicles but electricity utilities say they need to prepare even before electric cars start to plug in.

Industry association the Edison Electric Institute on Wednesday issued a pledge that its members will take steps to smooth the transition to electrically fueled vehicles. The chairman of the institute and CEO of utility DTE Energy, Anthony Earley, voiced the industry's support for plug-in vehicles here at the Business of Plugging In Conference.

"The industry's challenge will be to effectively manage this transition," Earley said. "We recognize … Read more