yearly

The 10 most disappointing games of 2010

If there is one lesson to learn from the most disappointing titles of 2010, it's "don't make a movie game." It seems that this year followed a bizarre pattern: the better the film, the worse the game. Almost half our list consists of failed attempts at such adaptations, more than any year before it.

Unlike last year's dishonorable list, we've decided to tackle games that let us down rather than picking out a handful of bad games. We've personally tested out each of these titles that failed to impress and can vouch for … Read more

Vote for the 2010 Tech Car of the Year

As 2010 rolls to a close, we look back at the cars we've reviewed over the last year to see which one should earn our Tech Car of the Year Award. From our survey of the cars we've reviewed, we're pleased to see that the adoption of cabin tech by automakers is becoming more prevalent and ever-more sophisticated, with features such as hard-drive-based navigation with traffic reporting becoming common.

Among the cars we've seen, we picked out five that show the most innovative technology. These cars use technology to enhance the cabin and driving experience, and … Read more

Apple reveals top iTunes content of 2010

Apple has divulged the top sellers this year across several iTunes categories in its annual "Rewind" feature.

In 2010, more people spent their hard-earned cash on "Hey, Soul Sister" by Train than on any other song. The track was followed by Katy Perry's "California Gurls" and Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie." "Airplanes" by B.O.B and "Dynamite" by Taio Cruz rounded out the iTunes top-five best-selling songs of 2010.

On the album side, it was Eminem's year as the artist's "Recovery&… Read more

2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee named 'Internet Truck of the Year'

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee has been chosen as the Internet Truck of the Year, beating out the Kia Sportage and the Ford Super Duty.

Internet Car and Truck of the Year are chosen by a panel of 15 automotive journalists and thousands of consumers, or "Average Joes." The pros voted 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Internet Car of the Year, and the 2011 Ford Mustang GT was named Car of the Year by consumers, but both voted for the Jeep Grand Cherokee for Truck of the Year.

In addition to recognizing the top car and truck, the Web site … Read more

Automotive journalists name 2011 Chevrolet Cruze 'Urban Car of the Year'

The 2011 Chevy Cruze this week was voted "Urban Car of The Year" by Decisive Media and an independent panel of 15 automotive journalists.

The Chevy Cruze, which comes in five including the Cruze LS, Cruze LT, Cruze 2LT, Eco Cruze, and Cruze LTZ, has an MSRP range from $16,995 to $22,695 in the U.S.

"If you really want to see evidence of a turnaround at GM, look no farther than Cruze," said Lyndon Conrad Bell, editor in chief of Decisive Auto. "Handsome styling, an attractive interior, competent power trains, an enjoyable … Read more

The Beats Pro headphone, a better beat?

No one can deny that the original Beats by Dr. Dre was a revolutionary headphone design. It brought style and pizazz to the headphone market, and turned on a new generation of music lovers to the joys of great sound. The Beats Studio ($350) is still selling like gangbusters, but the Beats line has expanded to include something better, the Beats Pro ($450).

The Studio Beats have a lot of bass, but the Pros have more and distinctly tighter, more visceral bass. The two headphones sound very different; the Pros have a brighter, more forward balance, and the Studio Beats … Read more

Nissan Leaf named 2011 European Car of the Year

Well, the Nissan Leaf has done it again. It's garnered another award.

This time, the Leaf has been named 2011 European Car of the Year. The Leaf beat out 40 contenders including Alfa Romeo, Citroen, Dacia, Ford, Opel/Vauxhall, and Volvo.

In the 47-year history of the annual competition, this is the first time the award has gone to an electric vehicle. This comes on the heels of the Leaf being rated at 99 MPGe by the Environmental Protection Agency.

"This award recognizes the pioneering zero-emission Nissan Leaf as competitive to conventional cars in terms of safety, performance, … Read more

Chevrolet Volt is the 2011 Green Car of the Year

Every year at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Green Car Journal crowns one new car the Green Car of the Year. This year that vehicle is the 2011 Chevrolet Volt.

In previous years, this honor has gone to vehicles as varied as the Chevy Tahoe Hybrid to Toyota's Prius, while the last two years have been dominated by Volkswagen and Audi's TDI vehicles. This year, Chevrolet brings it back to the electric camp with its solution to what GM calls range anxiety: a range extended EV powertrain that starts as an electric, but features a gasoline engine that … Read more

Rentech's synthetic diesel fueling A3 TDI road trip

When Audi accepted Green Car Journal's 2010 Green Car of the Year award, it may not have realized that a road trip was part of the prize package. Next week, two Audi A3 TDIs will travel down the California coast as part of the magazine's Green Car of the Year Tour, using Rentech's synthetic RenDiesel fuel to power their 2.0-liter diesel engines.

RenDiesel is an advanced biofuel made from renewable feedstock (in this case, woody green waste), but it meets the petroleum diesel transportation fuel specification, ASTM D975, around which automotive manufacturers develop their diesel engines. … Read more

Xbox Live Gold subscribers face price increase

Gold members of Microsoft's Xbox Live premium online service should expect a $10 price hike in yearly memberships beginning November 1. Director of programming for Xbox Live Larry Hryb, or Major Nelson as he's commonly referred to, recently announced the increase on his Twitter feed along with a link to the new pricing structure.

Annual memberships will go up from $50 to $60, three-month rates from $20 to $25, and monthly prices from $8 to $10. Gamers in the U.S. aren't the only ones incurring the higher prices; Xbox Live members in Canada, Mexico, and the … Read more