auto

I have the same car now as I did when I first covered RepairPal in 2008. In fact, I've had my old Saab since I bought it new in 1995. I am not uncommon, I'm told. People are keeping their cars longer. That's what RepairPal's business is based on.

"200,000 miles is the new 100,000," CEO Art Shaw tells me. Not just because the economy sucks and people can't afford new cars, but because cars are built better now, "with precision," Shaw says. And this means that people like … Read more

Steve Sphere Guttenberg returns to close out the week and he's calling on all our listeners to submit and vote for their favorite speakers, sound bars, headphones, subwoofers, and other home theater products for the first ever Stevie Awards for Excellence in Audio. So far, my personal top pick, the Koss PortaPros, are leading the headphones category!

Steve also tells Jeff and me about the leaps in technology that blew his mind growing up, the most prolific of which happens to be a head-shaped JVC binaural recording device that he used as a wingman in bars around New York … Read more

General Motors debuted another rendering of the second-generation EN-V at the 2012 Beijing Auto Show, announcing at the same time that China will be its first testing grounds for these electric pods.

The EN-V, which stands for Electric Networked Vehicle, is a two-seater electric vehicle that will be capable of communicating with other vehicles and can be driven autonomously or manually. GM designed this concept for congested megacities of the future, and hopes it will help ease parking, traffic, and pollution in dense urban environments. For that reason, it makes sense that Beijing or another city in China will host … Read more

If you like to use fun or attractive images as your desktop wallpaper but hate the way they look when they're cluttered with desktop icons, try AutoHideDesktopIcons. This simple utility easily displays your desktop icons when needed and keeps them hidden the rest of the time.

AutoHideDesktopIcons minimizes to the system tray when not in use, and clicking its icon brings up a simple interface with a series of check boxes and radio buttons. Users can specify whether they want the program to start with Windows, always start minimized, always be on top, or to hide the taskbar; this … Read more

China's international auto show in Beijing starts on Friday, April 27, but we have an early look at the production cars and concepts that will be on display.

The show features cars from Chinese automakers and their joint venture partners, the latter including such well-known brands as Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Jeep.

Some of the concepts will be the basis for new, global production models. Many employ electric or hybrid power trains.

Get a look at Chinese market production models from BAIC, Geely, GAC, and Brilliance, companies that may eventually … Read more

Following the example of Porsche, which used its Cayenne SUV to create more stable revenue, Lamborghini wants to add an SUV as a third model in its lineup. At the Beijing International auto show, Lamborghini finally revealed what its SUV will look like.

Using the sharp edges of its current design language, the Urus concept presents a very unique look for a vehicle designed to drive offroad. Although about 16 feet in length, similar to the Cayenne, the Urus concept is only about 5.5 feet high, making it more like a raised sedan. … Read more

Every automaker realizes the importance of China's growing thirst for cars, and the unique requirements of the market. Audi comes to the 2012 Beijing auto show with a concept vehicle that mixes practicality and excitement.

The RS Q3 concept is based on Audi's Q3 compact SUV. Not sold in the U.S., the Q3 seats five and has a little cargo area. It is similar to the BMW X1 that will be coming to the U.S. this year. If BMW is successful with its car, maybe Audi will follow suit.

The Q3 can be had with a … Read more

In the summer of 2005, one of the biggest scandals in the history of video games broke: Hot Coffee. If you don't recall the brouhaha over some very sexual content that was found to be hidden on the disc for Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, then you probably weren't reading much news that summer.

The scandal embroiled one of the most popular game franchises in the industry's history, and it wasn't because the game allowed players to shoot cops or run over hookers. Grand Theft Auto, which emerged from Scotland, took the world by … Read more

Rockstar Games is known for not pulling any punches with its incredibly popular video games offered on consoles, desktops, and mobile gaming devices. Frequently controversial and in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, Rockstar's games are violent and give players the freedom to do whatever they want -- both good and bad.

This week, Rockstar added another of its classic games to the App Store with the same dark, compelling story lines and action-oriented gameplay that made the developer famous. So leave your morality at the door and make sure the kids are in bed, because when you're dealing with the gangster underworld in this collection of games, you often have to make deadly decisions.… Read more