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Longines Master Collection Retrograde Moon Phases.
Longines has succeeded for the first time in bringing together the day, the night and the phases of the moon in a symphony of retrograde hands with a new timepiece that is named the Longines Master Collection Retrograde Moon Phases.
This exceptional watch reveals the intricate symphony of four retrograde hands whose movements are governed by the phases of the moon and the rhythms of day and night. In addition to displaying the hour, day, night and the phases of the moon, the functions of the Longines Master Collection Retrograde Moon Phases models include the day of the week at 12 O’Clock, the date on the right-hand side of the dial, a 24-hour second time-zone on the left-hand side of the dial and a small seconds at 6 O’Clock. These four functions are retrograde, in other words, the hands that display this information return immediately to their former position once they have completed their cycle.
The elegant and harmonious movement of the six hands under the eye of the moon makes this new creation totally captivating.
Longines is a member of the Swatch Group and is based in St. Imier in Switzerland since 1832. It has outlets in over 130 countries.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 6:33 AM | View the original post
PepsiCo today announced it has developed the world’s first PET plastic bottle made entirely from plant-based, fully renewable resources, enabling the company to manufacture a beverage container with a significantly reduced carbon footprint.
According to PepsiCo, its “green” bottle is 100 percent recyclable and far surpasses existing industry technologies. The bottle is made from bio-based raw materials, including switch grass, pine bark and corn husks. In the future, the company expects to broaden the renewable sources used to create the “green” bottle to include orange peels, potato peels, oat hulls and other agricultural byproducts from its foods business.
“This breakthrough innovation is a transformational development for PepsiCo and the beverage industry, and a direct result of our commitment to research and development,” said PepsiCo Chairman and CEO, Indra Nooyi. “PepsiCo is in a unique position, as one of the world’s largest food and beverage businesses, to ultimately source agricultural byproducts from our foods business to manufacture a more environmentally-preferable bottle for our beverages business - a sustainable business model that we believe brings to life the essence of Performance with Purpose.”
PepsiCo will pilot production of the new bottle in 2012. Upon successful completion of the pilot, the company intends to move directly to full-scale commercialization.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:33 AM | View the original post
• adidas today unveiled the “all adidas” global brand campaign. The campaign showcases adidas’ distinctive presence across different cultures and lifestyles fusing the world of sports, music and fashion.
The new campaign, launching March 16, captures the passion athletes, musicians and artists put into their “game”.
The campaign is directed by Romain Gavras and features the song “Civilization” by French electronic band Justice.
The campaign is built around a 30- and 60-second TV commercial and a two-minute extended online version.
“Today’s consumers are not one-dimensional,” said Patrik Nilsson, president of adidas America. “They live across the cultural spectrum and that’s where adidas has its edge. The adidas brand extends beyond sports and ‘all adidas’ celebrates this breadth of passion from athletes, musicians, artists and beyond. The new campaign allows us to create stronger, truer connections with the consumer by encouraging and celebrating a mix of interests and passions central to their lives.”
• adidas designs and develops a broad range of athletic and fashion footwear, apparel and accessories. Brand adidas is part of the adidas Group that includes adidas, Reebok, TaylorMade and Rockport.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:27 PM | View the original post
Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours showcased an extraordinary collection of India’s unique Classic Cars at The New Delhi Jaipur Polo Club.
• Owned by Indian royalty and private collectors, some of the most rare and historically significant automobiles were on display in public for the first time.
Photo: General Atmosphere during the Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours on March 12, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
The highlight of the Classic/ Rolls-Royce Class was the 1911 Rolls-Royce 40/50 H.P. One of the most famous cars in the world, this Silver Ghost, known as the ‘Throne Car’, was ordered by the H.H. Mahbub Ali Khan, Nizam VI of Hyderabad, the richest man in the world of that era. It is one of the most legendary, unique and expensive cars that Rolls-Royce ever manufactured. The car was delivered in 1912.
Some of the other cars in the concours included the ones originally bought by H.H. The Maharaja of Bharatpur, H.H. The Maharaja of Darbhanga, H.H. The Maharaja of Jodhpur, H.H. The Maharaja of Mayurbhanj, H.H. The Maharaja of Indore, and H.H. The Maharaja of Patiala.
Photo: A detail of a Morgan 4/4 1951 is seen during the Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours on March 11, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
Photo: A Chrysler Windsor 1947 is seen during the Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours on March 11, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
Photo: A Dodge Kingsway 1955 is seen during the Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours on March 11, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
Photo: A detail of Stutz Le Baron 1930 is seen during the Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours on March 11, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
Photo: Singer Brian Ferry (R) and Amanda Sheppard pose in front of a Packard Super 8 1934 during the Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours on March 11, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
Photo: Actor Olivier Martinez poses in front of the Delahaye car winner of the Cartier “travel with Style” 2008 edition during the Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours on March 11, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
Photo: The Chevrolet BelAir 1955 of Mr. Diljeet Titus is on its way to the Cartier Travel with Style Concours on March 10, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
Photo: President and CEO of Cartier International Bernard Fornas poses during the Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours on March 11, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
Photo: A Maybach 1936 SW 38 is seen during the Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours on March 12, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
Photo: Mr. Diljeet Titus arrives to reveive the award for classic class category during the Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours on March 12, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
Photo: A Jaguar Mark IV 1947 is seen during the Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours on March 12, 2011 in New Delhi, India. (Photo © Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images for Cartier).
The Cartier ‘Travel With Style’ Concours D’ Elegance was judged by an international panel of well known figures hailing from the automotive, creative, business, media, film, music, fashion and sporting worlds.
Set to rank alongside the other world-renowned Concours, such as the Cartier ‘Style Et Luxe’ at the Goodwood Festival of Speed; the ‘Concorsa D’Eleganza’ at the Villa D’Este; and the ‘Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance’ in California; the Cartier ‘Travel with Style’ Concours has put India on the International Classic Car Circuit.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:11 AM | View the original post
• Tata Motors today presented at the 81st Geneva Motor Show the Tata Pixel, a new city car concept for Europe.
Tata Pixel, at just over three metres in length, is the most package efficient four-seater in the world, comfortably accommodating four adults.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Carl-Peter Forster, Managing Director and Group CEO of Tata Motors, said, “Tata Motors holds true to its belief that there is an opportunity in Europe for a city car, which is optimal in space, maneuverability and environment-friendliness. The Tata Pixel is a reflection of Tata Motors’ idea of what such a car should be.”
• The Tata Pixel’s ability to maneuver and park in the tightest of spaces is made possible by its Zero Turn toroidal traction-drive Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT), which assists rotation of the outer rear wheel forwards and the inner rear wheel backwards, while the front wheels turn at acute angles. The result is a turning circle radius of just 2.6 metres.
The ‘scissor’ doors rotate upwards from the front to allow passengers to effortlessly enter or exit the Tata Pixel, even in the tightest of spaces.
Taking its pursuit of electric vehicles forward, Tata Motors is also displaying the Tata Indica Vista Electric Vehicle at the Motor Show’s Green Pavilion. The Tata Indica Vista EV will be made available to fleet customers this summer in the UK. The four-seater family car has a predicted range of up to 160 km.
Tata Motors is India’s largest automobile company.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:45 AM | View the original post
New Design is Thinner, Lighter & Faster with FaceTime, Smart Covers & 10 Hour Battery.
Apple today introduced iPad 2, the next generation of its device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, enjoying photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading ebooks and more. iPad 2 features an entirely new design that is 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter than the original iPad, while maintaining the same 9.7-inch LED-backlit LCD screen.
With the new front and rear cameras, iPad 2 users can now make FaceTime calls to millions of iPhone 4, iPod touch and Mac users so they can see family and friends anywhere there is Wi-Fi.
iPad 2 with Wi-Fi will be available on March 11 in the USA, while it will be available in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK on March 25; and later in more countries around the world.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:31 AM | View the original post
Photo: Maroon 5.
• On March 22 live from London, Coca-Cola and the band, Maroon 5, are bringing fans from around the world together.
For one epic session, fans will be invited to inspire the band “Maroon 5” as they compose an original song from start to finish in just 24 hours. Enabled by innovative interactive projection technology, fans will be given a virtual all-access pass to the studio by visiting www.coca-cola.com/music, where they will be able to interact with the band and lend their creative inspiration to lyrics, riffs and rhythms for the new song. They’ll get to contribute throughout the process and, at the end of 24 hours, will have helped inspire a hot new Maroon 5 track to share with the world.
The 24hr Session is part of “Coca-Cola Music,” an innovative new music program from Coca-Cola that will give teens the inside track on the creation of music and the opportunity to view the industry’s leading artists at work.
“Coca-Cola has a long history of using the power of music to bring people together from around the world in the most relevant and compelling ways,” said Joe Belliotti, Director of Global Entertainment Marketing, The Coca-Cola Company. “We are excited to be working with Maroon 5. They have a huge global following and a strong track record of producing great music. They have worked closely with us to help shape the event and ensure the session will be a fun and engaging experience for fans no matter where in the world they are.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:39 AM | View the original post
Photo: Excitement on the eve of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show as senior executives from Tata Group and Jaguar Land Rover opened Show activities with a celebration of Jaguar’s E-type. (right to left) Mr Carl-Peter Forster, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Motors; Mr Ratan N. Tata, Chairman of Tata Sons; Mr Ravi Kant, Vice-Chairman of Tata Motors; and Dr Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer of Jaguar Land Rover. They met with E-type owners and had the opportunity to drive prestige examples of the sports car classic. The iconic sports car was first unveiled 50 years ago in Geneva at the Hotel du Parc des Eaux Vives.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:20 AM | View the original post
Photo: Mercedes-Benz Zetros + All Wheel Drive (AWD) Technology: Zetros 4x4.
Daimler, the world’s largest manufacturer of Medium and Heavy-duty trucks above 6 tonnes, yesterday unveiled its exclusive new brand of trucks for the Indian market. The brand, BharatBenz, will offer Indian customers an entire range of trucks from 6 to 49 tons across various applications.
Photo: The prototype of a BharatBenz truck.
• Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG & Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars; Andreas Renschler, Head of Daimler Trucks and Daimler Buses; and Marc Llistosella, Managing Director and CEO of Daimler India Commercial Vehicles, unveiled the BharatBenz brand at the production location in Oragadam, near Chennai in India.
Photo: 125 years of innovation: 1886 - Benz Patent-Motorwagen. Invention of the motor car.
• Daimler AG, headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany, is commemorating 125 years of the automobile this year. The pioneering spirit of its founders set the world in motion, by creating the world’s first automobile.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 9:37 AM | View the original post
Photo: Baume & Mercier’s new ambassador American actress Gwyneth Paltrow (Foto © Nicolas Guerin). On the occasion of the SIHH (Salon International de la Haute Horlogerie), and to mark the start of a new chapter in its 180 year history, Baume & Mercier invited 950 guests to a garden party in Geneva, Switzerland.
Photo: French film actress Mathilda May at the 2011 Baume & Mercier garden party (Foto © Damien Keller).
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:13 AM | View the original post
Photo: Mobiles in Africa. Johannesburg, South Africa. Source: GSMA & Decisive Media. Photographer: Guy Daniels.
IBM and Bharti Airtel today announced the completion of contract negotiations for technology services spanning 16 African countries. As part of the 10-year agreement, IBM will deploy and manage the information technology (IT) infrastructure and applications to support airtel’s goal of providing affordable and innovative mobile services throughout Africa, the world’s fastest growing mobile market.
IBM will consolidate and transform the 16 different IT environments across airtel’s African operations into an integrated IT system, and will oversee the management of all applications, data center operations, servers, storage and desktop services. IBM will deploy technologies, processes and best practices to enable airtel to offer superior customer experience.
Photo: Mobiles in Africa. Lake Victoria, Uganda. Source: GSMA. Foto Credit: Howard Sayer.
The agreement calls for IBM to provide customer support applications that include customer relationship management, billing, and self-service that will empower customers and assist airtel in delivering innovative and convenient 2G and 3G mobile services.
The agreement extends the relationship between IBM and Bharti airtel established in 2004, when South Asia’s leading mobile communications provider selected IBM to run IT and applications for its entire network in India.
Headquartered in New Delhi, India, Bharti Airtel Limited (Brand: Airtel) is an Indian telecommunications company that operates in 19 countries across South Asia, Africa and the Channel Islands. It operates a GSM network. Airtel is one of the largest telecom operators in the world and is one of the largest cellular service providers in India.
Airtel has African operations in Burkina Faso, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Madagascar, Niger, Nigeria, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 4:09 AM | View the original post
Mercedes Benz F-CELL World Drive: Around the world in 125 days.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz F-CELL World Drive - 125 days, four continents and 14 countries: Starting on January 30, 2011 in Stuttgart (Germany), three Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL with fuel cell drive will be driving around the globe with zero emissions. The objective is to demonstrate that electric vehicles equipped with fuel cell are technically mature and suitable for everyday use.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz at the NAIAS (North American International Auto Show) 2011 in Detroit. Pop singer-songwriter Colbie Caillat delighted the audience at the Mercedes press conference.
Photo: Mercedes-Benz B-Class F-CELL. With the B-Class F-CELL, Mercedes-Benz launches its first fuel cell-powered electric car produced under series production in the U.S.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 7:52 AM | View the original post
Photo: MarketStar and MediaTile have teamed up to give consumers instant access to off-site knowledge experts in a personal, face-to-face manner using MediaTile’s HumanKiosk, powered by MediaCast Video Presence, 4G networking, and MarketStar’s on-call experts. The solution enables on-call experts to cover more shopping venues at a lower cost.
MarketStar, a leader in field, voice and digital sales and marketing, and The MediaTile Company, a leader in cloud-based digital signage solutions, today announced that they will be demonstrating, at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES 2011), a breakthrough in customer engagement that will allow product experts to be personally accessible to more consumers in retail venues, when and where it is critical to provide immediate, face-to-face interactions with consumers.
The breakthrough solution, called the “HumanKiosk,” can help brands, and other product or service vendors, provide experts in more shopping venues, including remote or secondary markets, without the overhead and costs associated with on-site personnel.
“The HumanKiosk is an innovative and ground-breaking solution whose time has now come,” said Dave Treadway, President and CEO of MarketStar. “Using our remote on-call experts, we can now deliver the same professional services, with the same personal touch, while eliminating the overhead and logistical complexities of travel and scheduling traditionally associated with sending on-site brand advocates or field personnel to every retail location.”
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 2:33 AM | View the original post
Photo: Hundreds of Thousands to Attend 2011 North American International Auto Show. Photo from the 2010 North American International Auto Show. Detroit, Michigan.
Photo: NAIAS attendees will be able to experience the latest in technology in a ride-and-drive format on a track built in Michigan Hall. Photo from the 2010 North American International Auto Show. Detroit, Michigan.
The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) will open its doors to more than 4,500 automotive journalists with an anticipated 30-40 worldwide debuts from automotive manufacturers around the globe.
“We’re rapidly approaching January 10th when the door of Cobo Center will once again open to the NAIAS and 2011 will be another banner year for media, industry and the public alike as they will be able to explore a packed show floor,” said Barron Meade, chairman, 2011 NAIAS.
The public and media will be treated to highly anticipated debuts from exhibitors such as Audi, BMW, Chrysler, GM, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volkswagen.
Photo: The all-new Honda Fit EV Concept electric vehicle made its world debut at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show on November 17, 2010. The Fit EV Concept hints strongly at the direction and styling for Honda’s upcoming production Fit EV all-electric vehicle, which will be introduced to the U.S. and Japan in 2012.
In line with trends of other international automotive shows such as Geneva, Paris, and Frankfurt, the first press day, Monday, January 10, at the 2011 Detroit Show will feature exciting worldwide, never-before-seen products. The second press day, Tuesday, January 11, will showcase highly anticipated innovative technological advancements by auto companies and suppliers.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
“This year, at all the major international auto shows, Electric Vehicles (EVs) would be the necessary point of interest for the governments, the press, the auxiliary automotive industry, and the car makers themselves.”
© GlobalGiants.Com. All Rights Reserved.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:09 AM | View the original post
Photo: Lufthansa crew members commemorate the formal handover of the German national airline’s first A380.
According to Airbus’ Global Market Forecast (GMF), almost 26,000 new passenger and freighter aircraft valued at US$3.2 trillion will be needed between 2010 and 2029, to satisfy demand. This demand is primarily driven by replacement of aircraft for newer more eco-efficient models in mature markets, dynamic growth in new emerging markets, low-cost carriers particularly in Asia, further market liberalization and capacity growth on existing routes.
The 2010 GMF forecasts 900 additional new passenger aircraft deliveries over the 2009 GMF reflecting a slightly higher growth rate of 4.8% compared to 4.7% in 2009. These aircraft will mainly be in the single aisle sector in which the A320 Family competes.
Out of the almost 26,000 additional passenger and freighter aircraft needed, around 25,000 will be passenger aircraft valued at over US$2.9 trillion. Of these additional passenger aircraft, 10,000 will replace older less eco-efficient aircraft and some 15,000 will be for growth. Taking into account today’s passenger fleet of over 14,000 aircraft, the world passenger fleet will rise to some 29,000 aircraft by 2029.
“The recovery is stronger than predicted and reinforces both the resilience of the sector to downturns and that people want and need to fly,” says John Leahy, Chief Operating Officer Customers. “The single aisle sector is particularly strong, and our A320 meets this future demand by providing our customers with the latest innovations and technologies whilst maintaining maximum commonality. Our entire product range is very well positioned to meet the economic and environmental needs for sustainable growth for the decades ahead.”
In passenger traffic growth terms, emerging economies are leading the recovery. Domestic Indian traffic growth (9.2%) is the fastest of any major market and the third fastest growth overall, after traffic between the Middle East and South America, and between North Africa and the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Seven out of the top 20 fastest growth flows connect China (PRC) to the rest of the world.
Photo: To meet the demands of the growing aviation market in India, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) is using IBM technology to modernize its infrastructure. Terminal 3 (pictured here) can more effortlessly share and manage information across all of the related airport operations to more efficiently deploy their resources and improve airport services. (Photo Credit: IBM)
“Airlines in Asia Pacific including China and India will carry one third (33%) of the passenger traffic by 2029, making it the largest region, overtaking Europe (25%) and North America (20%),” said Chris Emerson, Head of Airbus Product Strategy and Market Forecast.
Aircraft are getting bigger as airlines capitalise on the benefits of larger aircraft to absorb traffic growth, minimize airport congestion, reduce costs and to increase eco-efficiency.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 8:49 AM | View the original post
New Fiat 500 Brings Italian Style to the USA.
Photo: Media view the 2012 Fiat 500 (Cinquecento) at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.
Photo: Laura Soave, Head of Fiat Brand North America marks Fiat's return to the North American market today with the reveal of the 2012 Fiat 500 (Cinquecento) at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. Featuring a new 1.4-liter engine with Fiat patented MultiAir technology, the 2012 Fiat 500 will be available in three models, 14 exterior colors, 14 unique seat color and material combinations, and carries a standard four-year / 50,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty.
The Fiat brand marks its return to the North American market with the reveal of the 2012 Fiat 500 (Cinquecento) at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.
With its Italian styling, functionality, design and technology the new Fiat 500 is said to be relevant for an entirely new generation of drivers.
"The Fiat 500 has always been the right car at the right time," said Laura Soave, Head of Fiat Brand North America. "The new Fiat 500 now brings something truly unique to one of the fastest growing segments in North America, delivering Italian-by-design function, value and efficiency intelligently tailored for our market."
"Like the original Cinquecento a half-century ago, the new Fiat 500 changes the rules of personal transportation and delivers a new sense of individual expression and opportunity. At a time when America is getting back to basics with a fresh awareness of the environment, the new Fiat 500 identifies with today's minimalistic attitude and delivers with state-of-the-art eco-friendly technology, and it is wrapped in world-class quality, craftsmanship and style," added Soave.
Meanwhile, Chrysler Group LLC announced that it has selected 130 dealers to represent the Fiat brand in the United States.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 1:47 AM | View the original post
Photo: The Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle with extended range capabilities drives through Times Square in New York as part of the Volt Unplugged Tour Sunday, November 7, 2010. (Photo by Emile Wamsteker for Chevrolet).
GM Chevrolet Volt was today named the 2011 Motor Trend Car of the Year by Motor Trend magazine, one of the world's premier automotive authorities.
"Chevrolet is truly honored to receive one of the world's most coveted automotive awards," said Tom Stephens, GM vice chairman for Global Product Operations. "The Volt team has worked under extraordinary circumstances to produce this breakthrough vehicle."
Photo: A newly installed Chevrolet Volt charging station on the front steps of the GM Global Headquarters in Detroit, Michigan Tuesday, October 12, 2010. (Photo by Jeffrey Sauger for General Motors).
Photo: The Chevrolet Volt Customer Advisory Board members pose with the Volt at the General Motors Milford Proving Ground were they had the opportunity to drive the electric vehicle with extended range capabilities on a closed course Tuesday, September 28, 2010 in Milford, Michigan. Chevrolet selected 15 advanced technology enthusiasts and electric vehicle advocates as the first consumers to experience the Volt every day under real-world conditions during a three-month vehicle and charging evaluation program starting in late October. Advisory board members pictured include (l to r): Eric Rotbard, Brian Wynne, Colin Summers, Lyle Dennis, Robert Becker, Chelsea Sexton, Kris Trexler, Tom Kuhn and Mark Swain. (Photo by Jeffrey Sauger for Chevrolet).
As the world's first electric vehicle with extended range capability, the Chevrolet Volt has a total driving range of about 350 miles. For the first 25 to 50 miles, the Volt drives gas- and tailpipe-emissions-free using electricity stored in its 16-kWh lithium-ion battery. When the Volt's battery runs low, a gas powered engine/generator seamlessly operates to extend the driving range more than 300 miles on a full tank.
"We expected a science experiment, but this is a moon shot," Motor Trend editors wrote for the January 2011 issue. "The Volt delivers on the promise of the vehicle concept as originally outlined by GM, combining the smooth, silent, efficient, low-emissions capability of an electric motor with the range and flexibility of an internal combustion engine. It is a fully functional, no-compromise compact automobile that offers consumers real benefits in terms of lower running costs."
The full report from Motor Trend would appear in the January 2011 issue of the magazine.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
"Timely publicity of this Motor Trend 2011 Car of the Year award would sharply augment investor confidence in GM."
© GlobalGiants.Com. All Rights Reserved.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:26 PM | View the original post
Photo: New Honda vehicles are loaded into the automaker's unique fleet of 400 space-efficient Auto-Max(R) railcars outside the company's Ohio manufacturing facility. Including the Auto-Max fleet shipments, American Honda currently transports about 82 percent of its Honda and Acura automobiles across the USA by rail.
An all-new Honda electric vehicle concept will make its world debut on November 17 at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Additionally, Honda will reveal a plug-in hybrid platform showcasing the next-generation of Honda hybrid technology.
Both the electric vehicle concept and the plug-in hybrid platform along with the FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle would demonstrate the company's vision for the future of personal mobility.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd. President and CEO Takanobu Ito will attend the press conference, marking the first time Honda's global Honda CEO has introduced a worldwide vehicle debut during the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Details on the electric vehicle concept will be announced on November 17, 2010 at the Auto Show itself.
Photo: 2011 Honda FCX Clarity.
Photo: 2011 Honda FCX Clarity hydrogen fuel cell vehicle (illustration).
At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Honda will also display FCX Clarity, which is a sleekly styled hydrogen fuel cell-electric-powered sedan currently available on a limited retail basis in Southern California, USA.
The FCX Clarity is a key part of Honda's efforts to successfully develop, certify and distribute zero-emissions vehicles. Propelled by an electric motor that runs on electricity generated in a fuel cell, the FCX Clarity's only emission is water, and, according to Honda, its fuel efficiency is three times that of a modern gasoline (petrol) powered automobile and two times that of a gasoline (petrol) powered hybrid vehicle.
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 5:38 AM | View the original post
Photos: MTV star Rob Dyrdek and actress Minka Kelly kick off the Really Rally Roadtrip tour to help launch Windows Phone 7. After talking to fans at the AT&T store in Times Square, Rob and Minka set off on a five-city tour Monday, November 8, 2010. (Microsoft Photo/Jason DeCrow).
• Windows Phone 7 is a mobile operating system developed by Microsoft. It was launched in Europe, Singapore and Australasia on October 21, 2010. It has just been launched in the USA & Canada today. It will be launched in Asia in 2011.
The phone uses an operating system that is very different from the app-focused phones. It provides active and configurable interface elements called tiles that update on the fly with real information, allowing users to place the tiles that interest them most where they want on their Start screen. Facebook photos, music and contacts are pulled into the phone and distributed appropriately across Hubs. It also brings together many of Microsoft's popular offerings from other platforms, including Xbox, Zune, Office and Bing.
The phone's interface features Hubs for categories such as People, Music and video, Photos, Games and Office.
"We think people want to get updates from their social networks, they want to get contact information, they want to get e-mails from a variety of different places, they want to share music -- but they want control over it," said Andy Lees, Microsoft's Mobile Communications Business president. "They want one thing that they can access their work e-mail on and then put in their bag and go to the party, and they want it to be easy to use. That's exactly what we're delivering."
|GlobalGiants.Com|
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:38 PM | View the original post
Photo: Honda Acura TL 2011
At an Automotive Press Association luncheon yesterday in Detroit, Consumer Reports announced the results of its 2010 Annual Auto Survey.
According to the survey, General Motors has improved considerably, though Honda and Toyota still dominate in the latest predicted-reliability Ratings of new cars. Eighty-three percent of Chevrolets, GM's major brand, now have average or better scores in predicted reliability, up from 50 percent last year.
Photo: Cadillac SRX
While some GM nameplates had been among the least reliable brands in past years, they now rank above some major European competitors such as Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz. Two factors are aiding GM's reliability improvements. First, GM's recent introductions, such as the Chevrolet Camaro and Equinox, Buick LaCrosse V6 (FWD), and Cadillac SRX, are proving reliable from the time they were launched. In addition, GM shed many models with subpar reliability when it shut down the Saturn, Pontiac, and Hummer brands, says the report.
Photo: Chevrolet Camaro
The survey shows that as a company, GM is still a ways from the top when it comes to reliability -- the major Asian automakers, including Honda and Toyota, are still out in front. Among the three domestics, Ford continues to build the most reliable vehicles. Chrysler lags behind both GM and Ford.
Still, as the findings indicate, GM made the most progress of the three domestic manufacturers. Across GM brands (Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC), 69 percent of models had average or better reliability. Cadillac improved the most, rising seven places from last year's ranking. Chevrolet had its best showing in years; 83 percent of models had average or better scores in predicted reliability, up from 50 percent.
Photo: Ford Fusion Hybrid 2010
As a brand, Ford now outranks Mazda and Nissan and ranks just below Lexus. Ford vehicles are tops for reliability in two categories: family cars (Fusion Hybrid) and large SUVs (Ford Flex EcoBoost).
"General Motors and Ford have taken different paths to improving reliability," said David Champion, senior director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Center. "Some of GM's redesigned vehicles have scored well. The company has also dropped many of its below-average models. Ford has put its emphasis on fine-tuning existing platforms and limiting the number of new-model introductions."
None of Chrysler Corporation's models score above average. With Fiat's acquisition of Chrysler, many of its products will either be replaced or redesigned in the near future.
Photo: Kia Sorento
Despite recent safety recalls, Toyota models, including those from Scion and Lexus, remained among the most reliable and earned top scores in five vehicle categories: small cars (Yaris), midsized SUVs (FJ Cruiser), luxury SUVs (Lexus LX), minivans (Sienna V6, FWD), and full-size pickups (Tundra V6). The redesigned 2010 Toyota Prius, hurt by antilock brake problems on early vehicles, scored only average.
Honda and Acura are among the top four brands along with Porsche and Scion, with their models topping five vehicle categories -- upscale cars (Acura TL, FWD) , luxury cars (Acura RL), small SUVs (CR-V), upscale compact SUVs (Acura RDX) and compact pickups (Ridgeline).
Hyundai and Kia continued to do well, with only one model, the Kia Sedona minivan, rated below average. Nissan's mainstream models scored well. Subaru had a good record overall.
Photo: The new 2012 Volkswagen Eos hard top convertible will be unveiled to the public for the first time on November 17 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, with market introduction in early spring of 2011.
All Porsche and Volvo models are rated average or better. But Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz are among the worst automakers overall in terms of reliability, indicates the survey. BMW had a bad year, with five of its 11 models scoring below average. Six of Mercedes-Benz's 13 models were below average, and the GLK SUV was far below average. However, the redesigned E350 sedan was above average. Nearly three-quarters of the Audi models Consumer Reports analyzed were below average. Volkswagen did better, with its Golf, formerly the Rabbit, doing very well and the various Jetta models scoring average or better.
The Porsche Boxster has the best predicted reliability score in Consumer Reports survey, while the Audi A6 3.0T and Jaguar XF have the worst.
Findings are based on responses on 1.3 million vehicles owned or leased by subscribers to Consumer Reports or its Web site, www.ConsumerReports.org . The survey was conducted in the spring of 2010 by Consumer Reports' National Survey Research Center and covered model years 2001 to 2010.
Full reliability history charts and predicted-reliability ratings on hundreds of 2011 models, plus a list of what's up and what's down, best and worst models, and a comparison chart of brands can be found online at www.ConsumerReports.org, in the December issue and in the latest Consumer Reports Cars publication, Best & Worst New Cars for 2011, on sale November 16, 2010.
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