plug-in

Microsoft just declared that browser plug-ins' best days are behind them, but Adobe is working hard to disprove the notion with its Flash Player.

Flash, the most widely used browser plug-in, will be barred from the new "Metro" version of Internet Explorer 10 that will ship with Windows 8, IE team leader Dean Hachamovitch announced last night during the company's Build conference. In response, Adobe pointed out that Flash will still work with the more traditional "desktop" interface--but also that the company has other plans for staying relevant.

"If you look a year out, … Read more

The first big blow to Flash was Apple's iOS. Now Adobe Systems' browser plug-in faces another major threat to its relevance: Microsoft has banned it and all other plug-ins from the "Metro" version of Internet Explorer 10.

Metro is the modern "touch-first" interface that plays a starring role in the radically new look of Windows 8, which Microsoft plans to release in 2012. Microsoft will ship the new OS with two versions of IE10, one for Metro and one a brushed-up version of the current Windows 7 interface. While the legacy version of IE10 will … Read more

BMW will be supplying the engines for Fisker's next car.

Fisker Automotive announced today that it's contracted with BMW to supply engines, and a few other components, for its "Project Nina" vehicle.

BMW has committed to build "up to 100,000" turbocharged four-cylinder engines for the car per year.

The yet-to-be-officially-named model is expected to begin selling in the U.S. in 2013, going into production at a former GM plant in Delaware in 2012.

"Project Nina" is the follow-up plug-in hybrid sedan to the company's Fisker Karma four-door plug-in hybrid … Read more

BMW revealed two new electric car concepts that will be launched under its new i brand in Germany early this morning. The BMW i3 city car and the BMW i8 will be the auto manufacturer's first production vehicles designed from the ground up as electric or plug-in hybrids, rather than starting as an existing model and swapping the gas engine for an electric motor.

The BMW i3 is an electric vehicle designed for urban environments. Formerly called the MegaCity Vehicle, the EV is powered by a 125 kW electric motor that offers drivers an 80-mile electric driving range. The … Read more

The latest Firefox beta jumps to version 6 and lands with improvements made to security, tablet appearance, memory management, and Android fixes. Download for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Android, Firefox 6 beta comes with a laundry list of changes made to both desktop and mobile platforms.

Some of the changes were included in the developer's Aurora release of Firefox 6, such as the built-in verification tool for plug-ins like Adobe Flash, better memory management for the Panorama grouping feature, a Chrome-style Scratchpad for testing out JavaScript snippets, and a new window for fine-tuning Web site permissions.

Other changes are … Read more

Tesla Motors can design cool-looking electric cars. Now it has to show the world that it can steer its finances just as well.

CEO Elon Musk said this week that Telsa's iconic Roadster electric sports car will no longer be on sale in the U.S. within a few months, marking a turning point for the company which helped catalyze an industry-wide technology shift to electric propulsion.

The move will cut off Tesla's main revenue source and start a transition to a new product--the Model S electric sedan. Whereas Tesla has still sold fewer than 2,000 Roadsters, … Read more

General Motors said today that dealers in all 50 states can take orders for the 2012 Chevy Volt, which will come in a model priced just below $40,000.

The plug-in hybrid Volt is now available in six different models, rather than three, with the lowest listed at $39,995, or about $1,000 less than the 2011 price. The high-end model with leather, backup camera, navigation system, and other features is $46,265. Prices include the destination fee but not other taxes and fees.

Buyers can benefit from a federal tax credit of $7,500 for plug-in vehicles with … Read more

Count this as another perk of working for Google: free fuel for your electric car.

Google today said that it counts itself as the largest electric-vehicle charging station operator with about 200 chargers installed and another 250 ordered. The company's goal is to have 5 percent of its parking spaces equipped with electric-vehicle chargers, made available for free to Googlers.

"Our expanded charging system has already helped several Googlers decide to buy new EVs of their own, and we hope others will, too," wrote Rolf Schreiber, technical program manager for electric transportation at Google, in a company blog. … Read more

Given the choice between full electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids, consumers prefer a battery-powered car that comes with a built-in backup plan, according to Accenture.

The consulting group conducted a survey of 7,000 people in 13 countries to gauge consumer readiness for the new clean automotive technologies coming to market. Accenture found that 58 percent of drivers were in favor of battery-powered vehicles replacing conventional gasoline-powered cars, but they weren't ready to give up gasoline all together. If they had to choose between a a plug-in hybrid or a pure electric vehicle, 71 percent of the responders favored … Read more