spark

Lots of little 'lectrics at the LA Auto Show (roundup)

Take a look around the 2012 LA Auto Show and you'll see quite a few compact, fully-electric vehicles. Having spent much time creeping along at 20 mph on Los Angeles' gridlocked highways and stopping-and-going on its crowded streets this week, I can think of no better city to get excited about EVs.

We've rounded up the biggest players in this year's small EV class, many of which are currently available to consumers or will be sometime in 2013.

Chevrolet Spark EV

Chevrolet follows up its Volt with the smaller, simpler Spark EV. Based on the smallest model … Read more

Copyright scare spreads on Facebook

Tuesday's CNET Update has a cyber-shopping hangover:

Today's tech news roundup looks at the Cyber Monday shopping surge and how Amazon's Kindle Fire was a hot seller.

Also, don't be fooled by the status updates spreading on Facebook about copyright. It's a hoax. Nothing that you put in your status message will change the policies you agree to when you sign up for an online service.

In Apple news, iPhone owners can use Siri in some Chevy cars next year, with Chevy MyLink. And the new iMac all-in-one desktops will be on sale Friday.

And … Read more

GM extends EV drivability with apps

With current technology, GM can't give its upcoming Spark EV more range, but its OnStar division is giving drivers the tools to deal with limited driving range. A new feature of OnStar's RemoteLink Mobile app will let drivers plan trips based on charging-station availability along a route.

Volt owners use the RemoteLink Mobile app to program charging times remotely. OnStar will add the new Waypoint tab in anticipation of next year's launch of the Spark EV. When a driver enters a destination, the Waypoint feature will plot a route incorporating necessary charging-station stops.

Given that the Spark … Read more

Less is more with the new-generation Chevrolet MyLink system

You may already be familiar with the maxim, "Less is more." Clearly the infotainment engineers over at General Motors are, because it seems that they've taken this approach to designing the dashboard of the 2013 Chevrolet Spark LT.

There are only four buttons for volume up and down, power, and home below the 7-inch touch screen. There are only three knobs for the basic climate control system. There isn't even a CD player -- GM's betting that you probably won't even notice that last bit, because its target market carries music around on phones … Read more

Linux-based KDE tablet hopes to spark open-source movement

Looking for a truly open-source tablet? A new Linux-based slate may just be it.

Dubbed the Spark, this tablet doesn't have the latest and greatest hardware--it comes with a 1GHz ARM processor with 512MB of memory and 4GB of internal storage. However, it includes an SD card slot, a capacitive, multitouch display, and Wi-Fi. And at $265, it won't break the bank if you decide to go the open-source route.

Its main draw will be the KDE Plasma Active user interface that's preloaded on top of its Linux roots (apparently it runs on Mer, a fork of … Read more

GM opens engine plant in Uzbekistan

General Motors today announced the opening of an assembly plant in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. GM opened the power-train plant with local venture partner UzAvtosanoat.

According to the automaker, facility is GM's first engine plant in the Central Asian country. The plant is tasked with producing more than 225,000 new fuel-efficient Ecotec 1.2L and 1.5L engines for use in GM small passenger cars.

The new plant will produce finished machined components such as cylinder heads, cylinder blocks, and crankshafts. The plant has been equipped with the latest technology and has the flexibility to switch between production of engine … Read more

Mobile postcard startup Sincerely finally hot, now that Apple is a rival

Normally a startup like San Francisco-based Sincerely, which makes an app that lets you create and send postcards from your phone, would be in big trouble when a company like Apple enters its market. But Sincerely isn't ready to cede its fledgling business to the Cupertino giant, and today is announcing a new product line for the holidays, a new board member and a $3 million funding round. (Notice I didn't write that the funding is "new"--more on that in a moment).

When Apple rolled out its Cards app and service earlier this month, there … Read more

Chevy greenlights electric version of Spark

Chevrolet appears to be hedging its bets on the electric car market, announcing that it will produce an all-electric version of the Chevrolet Spark subcompact for the U.S. market in 2013.

The auto manufacturer has been preaching the benefits of its extended range electric power train as the best fit for American drivers who want to dip their toes in electric driving, but it has also been testing all-electric vehicles in Asia and India. Tests of those EVs, which were developed jointly by GM Daewoo, LG Chem, and LG Electronics, have proven successful, and parent company General Motors has decided to bring the all-electric platform to the U.S. in the Chevrolet Spark. … Read more

Chevy drivers at GM Korea set Guinness World Record with vehicle logo

In preparation for Chevrolet's centennial celebration, set for November 3, 2011, GM Korea gathered 1,143 of its customers in Pyeongchang, Gangwon, to create the largest Chevrolet bow tie and set a new Guinness World Record.

The motorcar mosaic was made up of Spark, Aveo, Cruze, Orlando and Captiva models and measured 688 feet (209.9 meters) in length and 221 feet (67.6 meters). The design was recognized as the Largest Car Logo.

The Chevy brand launched in Korea on March 1, 2011, with a nationwide brand unveiling event in Seoul. Since then, GM Korea has introduced several … Read more

Buzz Out Loud 1510: Google + is Bieber-free! (Podcast)

On today's show, we talk to Ken Parks, director of content at Spotify, who lays down the one rule of music licensing negotiations: you don't talk about music licensing negotiations! Plus, Amazon's tablet is incoming, 41 percent of Netflix users plan to take their ball and go home, and girl power at the Google science fair!