| Audi's E-Tron becomes the first hybrid to win Le Mans, saves the planet at the same time Jun 18th 2012, 09:55  Audi's R-18 E-Tron diesel-electric hybrid has become the first car of its kind to win the Le Mans 24-hour endurance race. Audi and Toyota both submitted environmentally friendly racers, but the latter's LMP1 crashed, which left the German automaker to a 1-2 finish (while a pair of non-hybrid racers placed third and fifth, respectively). Unlike battery-based hybrids, the R-18 uses a hefty turbo-diesel V6 pushing power to the back wheels, along with a flywheel to recover braking energy and drive a motor attached to the front wheels. The company has revealed that it's actually testing this far cheaper, battery-free system in a production vehicle, so perhaps it's only a matter of time before you'll be able to go a full day on a tank -- give or take the odd rest stop. Continue reading Audi's E-Tron becomes the first hybrid to win Le Mans, saves the planet at the same time Audi's E-Tron becomes the first hybrid to win Le Mans, saves the planet at the same time originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 05:55:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink  Yahoo News, Jalopnik |  Audi | Email this | Comments | | Samsung's new CEO promises 'particular focus' on software, UI and design Jun 18th 2012, 09:33  There's nothing worse than complacency in an incoming CEO, so it's fortunate that Kwon Oh-hyun is prepared to openly address weaknesses in his empire. He used his inaugural speech to declare that "a particular focus must be given to serving new customer experience and value by strengthening soft capabilities in software, user experience, design and solutions." Behind the corporate language, it sounds like he could be getting at the same issue we found with the Galaxy S III: Sammy is unrivalled when it comes to technology and specs, but its sense of aesthetic and UI arguably still needs some work. Equally, he could also be referring to an ongoing desire to expand the Bada mobile OS and the ChatON messaging service. The question now is how much of Samsung's river of cash he's planning to divert to his developers. Samsung's new CEO promises 'particular focus' on software, UI and design originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 05:33:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | WSJ | Email this | Comments | | LG Optimus L5 to complete the L-style ensemble later this month Jun 18th 2012, 09:02  The final middle piece of LG's L-style puzzle, the 4-inch Optimus L5, is pegged to arrive in the UK, Germany and France in the next two weeks. The sub-10mm phone packs the same design elements seen in the rest of the L-style series, meaning it'll also look uncannily similar to both the incoming Optimus Vu and Prada Phone 3.0. Aside from Android 4.0, the mid-ranger doesn't house that many surprises underneath those designer lines. Ho-hum specifications include a single core 800MHz processor, 4GB of (microSD-expandable) internal storage and a 5-megapixel camera. Once it's toured Western Europe, the device has plans to see the Middle East, Asia, Central and South America, although LG isn't saying whether the Optimus L5 has plans for a visit to North America. Continue reading LG Optimus L5 to complete the L-style ensemble later this month LG Optimus L5 to complete the L-style ensemble later this month originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 18 Jun 2012 05:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds. Permalink | | Email this | Comments | |
