tech

Audi has once again proven that diesel can win, when it comes to speed and endurance.

For the second time, the German automaker took first place at 24 Hours at Le Mans, the legendary French endurance race, with its diesel-powered Audi R10 TDI.

TDI, which, according to Audi, stands for "direct injection turbocharged diesel engine," is technology that the company introduced in 1989 and has continuously been developing. Audi claims that its TDI cars offer better fuel economy, power and performance, as well as reduced emissions.

Some speculated that Audi's win last year with the Audi R10 … Read more

General Motors looks like it is serious about this whole hydrogen fuel cell business. The company announced today that it had moved over 500 engineers from development duties over to groups focused on the production of fuel-cell-powered vehicles.

According to GM, more than 400 of its fuel cell engineers will now report to its Powertrain Group to begin production engineering of fuel cell systems. A further 100 fuel cell experts are being moved to a separate group focused on integrating fuel cells into future models.

While GM has already committed itself to putting 100 fuel-cell-powered Chevy Equinoxes on the road … Read more

The Garmin Nuvi family of GPS devices just keeps growing and growing, and today the company added two new members to the crew: the Garmin Nuvi 200W and the Nuvi 250W. Both models are similar to the Garmin Nuvi 200 we just reviewed, except they boast larger 4.3-inch touch screens (versus 3.5 inches). The 200W comes preloaded with maps of the contiguous United States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico, while the 250W throws in maps of Canada and Alaska to boot. Like the rest of the Nuvi series, the pair offers tools for the traveler, including currency and unit … Read more

Toyota plans to announce specifics next month regarding collaboration with Isuzu on diesel engines.

Toyota has been in discussions with Isuzu, a company known for its expertise in diesel engine technology, since November, said Tina Ewald, assistant manager for media and investor relations at Toyota Motor North America.

Earlier Friday the Nikkei, Japan's leading business daily, reported that Isuzu has invested in a plant in Hokkaido, Japan for the purpose of supplying Toyota with 200,000 low-emission diesel engines per year. The report said the plant will be operational by 2012.

Toyota would not confirm or deny the report.… Read more

Look, here is something we all need: "high-definition" swim goggles, for $24. With these, you can either stalk your underwater prey (insert Jaws music here) or at least just prevent yourself from smacking into the sides of the pool because you can't see a darned thing.

Apparently, they've been tested for "comfort, visibility, fit, and adjustability," which means they probably break easily if you don't treat them absolutely right. They're fog-resistant, UV-protective (UV rays underwater? Guess you learn a new thing every day) and filter blue light so that your submarine vision … Read more

Sports Tech ? Will highlight technology that can be used in sports performance at any level. If you?re a weekend warrior looking for the latest high tech training aid or a coach looking for that performance edge for your team, then this blog is for you. We will show the latest technology and how you can use it to attain an advantage in any sport. From Golf to Baseball we?ve got you covered stay tuned for the latest Sport Tech from around the globe.

Admit it, efforts at Web-based philanthropy and activism can be pretty annoying. Maybe you've signed more than your fair share of chain-letter e-mail action alerts and filled out form letters to politicians for some righteous cause or other, without ever seeing any results.

However, it is possible to make real dollar donations to a favorite charity without dropping a dime, just by surfing the Web. A handful of online services will route some of their profits from Internet advertising to the tree-saving, cancer-curing, kitten-rescuing, or other group of your choice.

This approach is more convenient than remembering to visit, … Read more

As I've mentioned before, I get the occasional handy tip from you lovely readers. This particular item, however, was brought to my attention by a cat-loving friend who does not follow the tech blogs (sacrilege, I know). Behold: the CatCam, a modified digital camera with a time-sequence controller and a furry mode of transportation. The Web site features the adventures of one such furball, a tomcat named Mr. Lee. This typically curious kitty treks around the great outdoors, and then his owner posts pics from his "trips" online. The images aren't exactly crystal clear, but that … Read more

It's design month here at CNET Car Tech, and as part of our analysis of the automotive design landscape, we've rounded up some of the least attractive autos on the road. While we're all for innovative styling, bold accents, and daring design cues, there are times when you just have to tell it like it is. Check out our slide show of the 10 ugliest cars to cross our garage threshold over the past year.