tron

Audi A1 E-tron to use Google Earth navigation

Audi is raising the bar for electric vehicle infotainment systems by offering the same telematics package in the European A1 E-tron that it delivers in its top-of-the-line A8 sedan.

The Audi A1 E-tron is a prototype plug-in that uses a 45-kilowatt electric motor powered by a 12-kilowatt battery to deliver a 31-mile range. For longer distances, a small gasoline engine generates electricity to recharge the battery and extends the urban EV's range another 125 miles. Gear heads often complain that EVs take the fun out of driving, but the A1 E-tron's infotainment system could change their minds.

It … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1349: YAFE: Yet Another Facebook Event

In titles we didn't use because they're not SEO-friendly, topics today include the fact that it's on like Brian Tong (tm), Jessica Simpson's tooth fur, gold does grow on trees, and tiny fists of rage. We interview RockMelt's CEO and ask him to explain that name, and we preview the latest TRON trailer MST3K style. Did we mention the tooth fur? Ew. --Molly

Third 'Tron Legacy' trailer hits, and is amazing

opinion Loyal Crave readers will know that we're losing our collective heads in anticipation of "Tron Legacy," the sequel to the imagination-grabbing original from 1982. We've been covering the toys, costumes, and even the music. Our own Josh Lowensohn even got to talk to The Dude himself, Jeff Bridges, a few weeks ago. Why yes, I am jealous.

The first actual trailer, which we saw a year ago, blew us away. Then in the summer we got another. And here is the third, and it is even more awesome than the others. I cannot wait to see Jeff Bridges vs. Jeff Bridges in 3D. … Read more

Tron DIY costume tutorial coming soon

The only reason I gave Halloween a miss last Sunday was because I didn't have an Angry Birds costume. At least I thought that was my only excuse, until I saw the Tron Quorra getup Syuzi from Los Angeles.

A faux leather attire, some EL Film strips, and conductive fabric tape should be enough to get you going. If you prefer to follow a guided tour of the do-it-yourself process, Syuzi's tutorial will be available in the next three weeks (though it's three weeks too late for my Halloween dress-up).

(Source: Crave Asia)

'Tron: Legacy' treatments geek up the walls

My friend has tickets to a sneak preview of "Tron: Legacy" on IMAX 3D tonight. I have rarely been so jealous. There's not a single movie I've been this excited about since "Crank 2: High Voltage" hit last year. I'm just insane about "Tron."

And I guess I'm almost insane enough (but not quite) to love this 6x10-foot Tron-themed wall mural that goes on like wallpaper. It's not the kind of thing that would look good at my place (Sam Flynn wouldn't work next to Miss June), but … Read more

This is Daft Punk in 'Tron: Legacy'

"Tron: Legacy" hits theaters 10 weeks from this Friday, and in preparation, Disney is releasing a new piece of Tron-related content every week. This morning brings a desktop wallpaper-size image of French music duo Daft Punk, who did the entire score for the film. Just yesterday, that soundtrack release date was pushed back to December 7--up two weeks from the original late November date.

Along with the image above, Disney also released a 90-second snippet of the title track, "The Game Has Changed," part of which has already been heard in trailers for the film. You … Read more

Audi e-tron Spyder: Hybrid model vows 128 mpg

Remember that Audi e-tron we showed you last year? Y'know, the electric R8? Audi's only gone and lopped the roof off to create a spyder version. Somebody pass us a Tena Lady.

Unlike the hard-top e-tron, which was purely electric, this model is a plug-in hybrid. It uses a lithium ion battery plus a pair of 88 bhp electric motors mounted to the front axle which, altogether, can drive the car for up to 31 miles at a speed of 37 mph.

When that energy's depleted, it can be replenished from a household electrical outlet or the … Read more

Tron's long journey back into theaters

Two years ago, near the back of a crowded screening room at Comic-Con, someone managed to record the entire teaser trailer for "Tron: Legacy," which at the time was titled "TR2N." No cameras of any sort were allowed.

The video, which stretched nearly three minutes, featured a high-speed chase on updated versions of Tron's famous lightcycles. It was a visual-effects concept made by a small team of animators before the film went into full production. The goal of that clip--as CNET learned during a "Tron: Legacy" press day Saturday at special-effects house Digital … Read more

Special-effects gurus of 'Tron' keep it real (Q&A)

VENICE, Calif.--Just a few blocks from Venice Beach in Southern California is a rather nondescript warehouse--a few windows, a parking lot decorated with an old basketball hoop. If you drove by, you might mistake it for the Public Storage building on the next block over.

But inside is special effects shop Digital Domain, and the only stored relics you'll find are movie prop miniatures like a replica of the Titanic and a 3-foot-tall Apollo space capsule. The rest of the building is made up of meeting rooms, gadget-filled workstations, two screening theaters, and a server farm that's … Read more

Jeff Bridges on 'Tron,' 3D, and gadget addiction

VENICE, Calif.--Sitting across from me, Jeff Bridges leans back into his chair, looking almost through me as we begin to chat about reprising his role as fictional game developer (and geek icon) Kevin Flynn in "Tron: Legacy."

This past weekend, we're sitting here in an executive office inside Digital Domain, the special-effects studio that's in charge of the dazzling effects seen in the highly anticipated sequel that picks up 28 years after the events of the 1982 classic. The entire room is a light brown and bathed in soft incandescent light, making Bridges, in his … Read more