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The touch-screen-controlled device plays music, surfs the Internet and delivers voice mail and e-mail differently than any other cell phone.

Even the phone's name is in contention. Linksys, a division of Cisco Systems Inc. that makes networking equipment for the home and small businesses, unveiled its new iPhone line of Internet-enabled phones last month. Cisco has owned the trademark on the name "iPhone" since 2000. Although Cisco is agitating for Apple to make a public statement clarifying use of the name, Apple executives say their cellular phone doesn't compete with Cisco's Internet phone.


iPhone combines three products — a revolutionary mobile phone, a widescreen iPod with touch controls, and a breakthrough Internet communications device with desktop-class email, web browsing, maps, and searching — into one small and lightweight handheld device.

Widescreen
iPhone is a widescreen iPod with touch controls that lets you enjoy all your content — including music, audiobooks, videos, TV shows, and movies — on a beautiful 3.5-inch widescreen display. It also lets you sync your content from the iTunes library on your PC or Mac. And then you can access it all with just the touch of a finger.

Phone
iPhone allows you to make a call by simply pointing your finger at a name or number in your address book, a favorites list, or a call log. It also automatically syncs all your contacts from a PC, Mac, or Internet service. And it lets you select and listen to voicemail messages in whatever order you want — just like email.

Internet
Phone features a rich HTML email client and Safari — the most advanced web browser ever on a portable device — which automatically syncs bookmarks from your PC or Mac. Safari also includes built-in Google and Yahoo! search. iPhone is fully multi-tasking, so you can read a web page while downloading your email in the background over Wi-Fi or EDGE.

Technical Specifications
Screen size 3.5 inches
Screen resolution 320 by 480 at 160 ppi
Input method Multi-touch
Operating system OS X
Storage 4GB or 8GB
GSM Quad-band (MHz: 850, 900, 1800, 1900)
Wireless data Wi-Fi (802.11b/g) + EDGE + Bluetooth 2.0
Camera 2.0 megapixels
Battery Up to 5 hours Talk / Video / Browsing Up to 16 hours Audio playback
Dimensions 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.46 inches / 115 x 61 x 11.6mm
Weight 4.8 ounces / 135 grams

Born in 1998 and launched as the cult car of the 2000s, the Smart has curiously never been profitable, with only 750,000 Smart Fortwos sold since then.
After dropping its roadster-coupé, 4x4 and 4-seater model projects, DaimlerChrysler is now taking a big gamble by refocusing on the Fortwo, which is the heart of the marque's range. In this perspective, the new Smart Fortwo should usher in a new generation of small superminis that are at once sturdy, safer, more powerful and. more economical!

In effect, being 19.5 cm longer, the Smart Fortwo now conforms to the new standards of protection. It nonetheless remains the most compact of the current superminis. Boot capacity increases from 150 to 220 litres (enough to fit in a suitcase or shopping) and the boot opens in two parts for ease of loading and
unloading.


As for engines (still located at the rear), the Smart will be equipped with new 1-litre 3-cylinder petrol units, with output ranging from 61 to 71 and 84 hp. In the 84 hp version, the top speed is limited to 145 kph (90 mph), i.e. 10 kph (6 mph) more than the previous model. All of these engines will be coupled with a 5-speed automatic gearbox. The new Smart Fortwo is also more economical (despite the increase in output) with 5 l and 5.5 l on average per 100 km (62 miles). According to the manufacturer, the new model should have "stop and go" technology.

The new Smart Fortwo will be marketed in convertible version equipped with an entirely automatic canvas hood that can be activated at any time, whatever the speed.

Designed in Germany, this vehicle will be built at the Hambach factory in Alsace, France. For many observers, the new Smart Fortwo, which is mainly aimed at city dwellers who don't stray from built-up areas, should inevitably be hybrid one day (or even 100% electric) in order to become the greenest car on the market!
Lastly, a piece of good news: the prices of this new Smart should remain in line with those of the previous version.

source ViaMichelin www.smart.com

Linksys®, a Division of Cisco Systems, Inc., and the recognized leading global manufacturer of voice, wireless, and networking hardware for home, Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) and small business user, today unveiled its iPhone® family of Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions. The iPhone family of handheld devices harnesses the power of the Internet to enhance voice communications, integrate compelling information services, and deliver access to multimedia. In short, Linksys iPhones voice solutions and products give consumers the ability to do more with their phone than talk.

"As the next generation of handheld devices, Linksys iPhone voice solutions and products are changing the way people communicate with their friends, family and colleagues. They enable compelling internet services, allow consumers to know when their contacts are available for calls, and offer access to personal content like music, movies and live video cameras." said Mike Pocock, Linksys senior vice president and general manager. "The development of the iPhone family demonstrates our flexibility in selecting the right partnerships, feature sets, and product designs to exceed the demands of even our most connected customers to whom the Internet is no longer a destination, but an inextricable part of their lives."

It was expected that Apple was close to releasing some kind of iPod and cellular telephone combination, possibly for unveiling at Macworld in January. Until the Linksys announcement, the name "iPhone" was a logical guess.

Much of the speculation about Apple's activity centers on an application the Cupertino-based company filed with the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office for a "portable computing device capable of wireless communications." The company has not discussed its plans, and declined Tuesday to comment on "rumors and speculation."

Analyst Tim Bajarin of Creative Strategies said a convenient naming option for Apple may have been eliminated, but the Linksys announcement will likely have little impact on Apple's plans.

Apple is believed to be working on a cell phone with music-playing ability, a markedly different technology than a VoIP phone, and still may have a surprise in store for the naming of any such device, he said.

"In our industry, naming the thing is almost as hard as creating the technology," he said. "It's pretty clear it's not going to be called 'iPhone.' But Apple's still pretty clever. They still could be very creative."

Citroën C4 Picasso:
It's no scoop: what distinguishes the C4 Picasso radically from other compact MPVs is its incomparable luminosity and visibility. Hence the 'Visiospace' concept of a vehicle that aims to transcend the category. But leaving aside the announcement effects, the main point is that the C4 Picasso inaugurates a new generation of more comfortable and better equipped MPVs, to the great displeasure of Ford S-Max, VW Tourans and Grand Scenics for instance.


Transparency and stylistic maturity
Admittedly there are the flattering comparisons and superlatives used by the automaker: the panoramic windscreen with a visibility angle that has doubled from 35° to 70°; the biggest quarter-side window and the largest glazed surface of the category (6.4 sq. m) ; the market's biggest panoramic roof (1.04 sq. m)... Indulge yourself: the glazed surface under the sky and tree tops is fantastic and the sliding shutter blind affords welcome shade when required. We also appreciated the large front quarter-lights and the extremely slim windscreen side pillars that considerably reduce the dead angle. The only complaint is that the windscreen wipers do not wipe all the area of the exceptional windscreen; you'll therefore have to hose it in hot weather so that the top part does not become an anatomical plate of all kinds of insects!

But over and above this exceptional visibility, we felt that the best surprise of this MPV was its particularly successful design. Take for instance the belt line that forms a V at the level of the front quarter-lights, and the window pillars of the same colour as the side windows (and not of the body) making this nevertheless imposingly sized vehicle appear light and fluid. The big chevrons on the grille, already present on C4s, C5s and C6s, and which we felt were a somewhat excessive signature, are fully coherent here given the vehicle's dimensions.

Class-leading space for five or seven
4.59 m long, 1.83 m wide, 1.66 m high, these dimensions are higher than those of the Zafira for example. This allows the C4 Picasso to boast the category's largest interior space as regards elbow room, space between the front seats and leg room in the second row (according to Citroën). But interior space is not just about volume and several well thought-out features participate in passenger comfort, first among which mention can be made of the flat floor without a central tunnel and the absence of a console between the front two seats. The gearshift lever of the electronic gearbox is indeed now located behind the steering wheel (as on the legendary DS) and the traditional hand brake has given way to an automatic electric parking brake located on the dashboard. The latter is particularly well designed with four large cubbies, particularly at the level of the lower central part which is equipped with a 5.4 litre refrigerated compartment incorporating a small tray and two can carriers. Depending on the chosen trim, various complementary storage areas are available: under the front seats, in a low console between the front seats, under the floor at second row level...



Modularity is of course the key element of this type of vehicle, per se a family carrier, but reconfiguration must not be a chore. Parents will therefore appreciate that the seats of rows 2 and 3 can be very easily folded away under the floor (by pulling on a strap). Nor do you have to be a contortionist to access row 3: by pressing on the control at the top of a row 2 seat, its cushion is automatically lifted, much like a cinema seat, and the seat can then slide up against a row 1 seat-back, freeing the necessary space to access the rear... What's more, these seats are real spacious seats. When there are seven in the car, you can count on a 208 litre boot, and when there are five the boot has a 576 litre capacity.
Class-beating suspension comfort, soft lighting and a scented air freshener
A user-friendly car for up to seven occupants, the C4 Picasso has a wealth of features promoting passenger well-being... but it is to be regretted however that most are offered as options. Some are purely for additional comfort such as the flap table and reading lamp; video screens and wireless headsets for row 2 passengers; four-zone air conditioning; air quality sensor; and the hi-fi pack comprising eig
ht loudspeakers and an MP3 player. Also useful is the little light under the exterior rear view mirrors which automatically comes on when you approach in darkness. Lastly, more of a gadget, mention is to be made of the removable boot lighting that can serve as a torch (a process that has also been seen recently in the Dodge Caliber regarding its ceiling lamp).

Other features are also present but rather to create in-car ambience, such as the scented air freshener and the night lighting system with its light guides (several colours to pick from) under the dashboard and in the door panels... Children will simply love these. Lastly the perceived quality of the trims is really top-notch, on a par with that to be found in German cars.

Typical of the marque, the C4 Picasso's true comfort resides however above all in its pneumatic (not hydraulic) suspension on the rear axle. This provides smoothness unparalleled in the category, as we saw on passing over speed humps at a fast speed: the impact was very well dampened where the axle housing would no doubt have caused trouble in another vehicle. This MPV is the entire opposite of the Zafira and its spartan firmness.
Another advantage of this suspension is that you can lower the boot sill to load luggage.

Apart from the huge glazed area, the other major new feature of the C4 Picasso is the electronic gearbox (6 speed). This transmission is available on the 143 hp 2.0 litre petrol version and on the two 1.6 and 2.0 litre diesel engines (respectively 110 and 138 hp). The 1.8 litre petrol version (127 hp), with its 170 Nm torque, remains mated, for its part, with a conventional 5-speed manual gearbox and proves somewhat limited for a vehicle of this size.
Very pleasant to use, the electronic gearbox allows more rapid gearshifts... You merely have to raise your foot slightly to change gears, a habit that is acquired after a few minutes. Well-spaced speeds with sufficient torque, particularly in the two diesel engines (respectively 240 and 270 Nm), mean that this family car never becomes boring. This type of transmission is said to lead to a consumption economy of 4 to 5% (manufacturer's figures). You can of course always revert to entirely manual mode.
In addition to all this the comfort of the suspensions in no way detracts from the roadholding which we found precise and without the roll effect found in the Grand Scenic (source Via Michelin)

A fiery green intruder from outer space sparked widespread alarm among bewildered skygazers who witnessed it burning up over Australia, authorities have said.

Residents of the states of South Australia and Victoria Monday night deluged police and media with accounts of a green-coloured fireball hurtling westward through the evening sky.

In Victoria, concerned callers to a radio station reported they had spotted an unidentified flying object bright enough to be visible at sunset, with one guessing it was a comet.

"It was green like a meteorite or shooting star," a caller named Jeff told ABC Radio around 8:30pm.

"It was really pretty bright and you could see something else coming down as well, but what it was I don't know," he concluded.

The extraterrestrial inferno left a trail of debris through the twilight sky, according to another witness, Monty, from the town of Kaniva, near the South Australian border.

"The trail hung in the sky for at least 15 minutes afterward like a jet stream," he said.

Meanwhile Brian, a farmer from Bendigo in Victoria, said he and his wife, who were outside at the time, believed they may have witnessed the object's earthly demise.

"We looked up and there was a green comet-like thing dropping out of the western sky," he said.

"It dropped over the trees at the back of our property and it was making a tail as it went down."

The apparition, which meteorologists later identified as a meteor, came in the wake of spectacular meteor showers earlier in the month, produced as the earth passed through the tail of the comet Tempel-Tuttle, astronomers said.