Honda's Insightful New Hybrid

Maybe it can be thought of as a "Post-Prius". Honda's brand new Insight is the carmaker's second kick at making a hybrid by that name, but the two Insights are very, very different from each other.

The first Insight was a little two seater with no storage space (no get up and go, either) and which looked a bit like a squashed lady bug. The new one has some "old Insight" cues, including the taillights and the two section rear window that's nearly horizontal on top and nearly vertical on the bottom, but it's a very different car. more...

Rotel's 15 Series: Audio Components to Lust After

"More Power!" It's the clarion call of autophiles and audiophiles alike, and technological innovation is allowing both groups to get more for less all the time.

A good example in the audio world is Rotel, which has been blazing a technological trail focusing on increasing the power output of amplifiers while decreasing their size, weight and energy use. And if the rest of the 15 series models are as good as the RMB-1575 I've been reviewing, Rotel's new Class D amps offer excellent ways to upgrade your oomph factor (and your green factor) substantially without sacrificing any audio quality. more...

2010 Mazda 3 - Long Live "Zoom-Zoom"!

You certainly can't accuse Mazda of false advertising for using "Zoom-Zoom" as their slogan. The phrase captures the Mazda driving experience beautifully, whether you're behind the wheel of the RX-8, MX-5 Miata, the CX-7 and CX-9 crossovers or, the topic of this piece, the little Mazda 3.

The previous 3 was a huge success for Mazda. According to them, it sold nearly 1.8 million vehicles in over 100 countries since its 2003 launch and won more than 90 automobile awards, including the 2004 "Canadian Car of the Year".  So it was with gusto that I tackled the brand new Mazda3 Sport, the souped up, wagon version of the base 3. It sports a fresh new look and a list of standard and optional equipment that made my head spin considering the car's price. more...

Alienware Notebook PC Aimed at Serious Gamers

It isn't cheap, nor is its footprint particularly tiny in this age of increasingly small notebook PC's, but if you're looking for a portable powerhouse an Alienware M17 may be just what your PC doctor ordered.

Part of the reason for the M17's 15-by-11-inch footprint is undoubtedly its 17 inch monitor, a terrific screen that would be pretty hard to shrink until the day foldable monitors become a reality. more...

CR-V, GS 450h: Not New, but Still Relevant in '09

One's a great example of the "cute ute" genre, and the other's a luxurious and eco-friendly road rocket.

And while neither the Honda CR-V and Lexus GS 450h features major upgrades for 2009, both of them continue to be excellent vehicles in decidedly different niches. I got to some quality time in each vehicle recently, which reaffirmed that both are my favorites of the vehicles I've driven in their respective "cute ute" and "hybrid" markets.  more...

NAD Phono Preamp Revives Turntables

It appears the reports of vinyl records' demise may have been premature. Okay, chances are you don't find a lot of vinyl on your local audio/video software store shelves, and may not have seen it for years, but some audiophiles have never abandoned the format and it now appears the old black magic of 33 1/3 rpm records may even be making a comeback of a kind.

All of which makes NAD's $199 PP-3 Digital Phono Preamplifier a very timely device. more...

Chevy Aveo Like a Happy Puppy

The 2009 Chevy Aveo is a good little commuter car, suited perfectly for trips around town. It's small, pleasant to drive and be in, and seems as easy to please as a new puppy. Take it out on the highway and you may not like it as much, though.

Regardless, this is a nifty little car and, while I didn't fall for it as much as I did the Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent, it's about as much fun to drive as a low-powered econobox shackled to an automatic transmission can be. more...

uSHIP.COM and EARTHCAM.COM - Info for Shippers, Surfers and Travelers

You've bought that classic car of your dreams. Now what? How do you get it home if you don't want to add a lot of miles to it? UShip.com thinks it has your answer, with its Shipping Price Estimator.

And EarthCam offers streaming views from cameras mounted in famous locations worldwide, which could be a nifty way for you to scope out potential travel destinations before you go. more...

Star Trek Beams onto Blu-ray – Classic Series Materializes in Two Versions

The Blu-ray release of the original Star Trek TV series sees Paramount taking yet another dip into its product well. But rather than merely rereleasing the same old stuff, only in HD this time, the new version offers Trek fans some real meat.

In fact, Season One, the first out of the HD gate, is truly a "must have" for collectors and fans of the series.  It's also an interesting balancing act. more...

Honda's Ridgeline Keeps on Trucking

Who needs a full-sized pickup these days? Well, many people do, actually. But many people's hauling and towing needs don't require a vehicle larger than some homes, and for them there's a wide variety of smaller-but-still-capable pickups.

Honda's entry into this fray is the Ridgeline, a homely but homey vehicle that's not only a pretty capable truck, but which also showcases some nifty innovative thinking – as well as some creative mimicry the type of which the Japanese did so well back in the days when they were playing catch-up in the car market. more...

A "Non-Coupe" is Volkswagen's Latest Scoop

Who'd have thought a Volkswagen sedan could be sexy, an object of automotive lust? Yet automotive lust is the feeling I got during my week with the new Passat CC, a wonderful 2+2 sedan that got me thinking about keeping a VW in my garage for the first time in my life.

The CC is part of that new breed of "four door coupes," which means it's a sedan that looks superficially like a coupe because it has a more swoopy roofline and sporty flavor than the average sedan. And though there's nothing wrong with the way the garden variety Passat sedan looks, the CC is head and shoulders more, well, sexy. more...

Do the Al Gores of the World Want You Dead?

Does the green movement's push toward forcing people into smaller, more fuel efficient cars have the potential to kill?

Maybe, if you look at the newest Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report entitled "New crash tests demonstrate the influence of vehicle size and weight on safety in crashes; results are relevant to fuel economy policies". more...

Murano 2.0 a Family Friend

If you thought Nissan Murano Version 1.0 was a pretty decent vehicle, you'll probably love what they've done to it in Version 2.0.

The 2009 Murano is distinguishable from its older self immediately, via a grille that no longer looks as if you can grate cheese on it and tail lights that are now mostly horizontal instead of mostly vertical. It's still an attractive vehicle, with a clean and modern design that features a dynamic front fascia, large integrated headlights, 18-or-20-inch wheels (my test car had 18 inchers) and LED taillights. more....

LaCie Multimedia Hard Disk Makes Tunes, Flicks Portable

You could call it a multimedia server that serves no one, though in fact it'll serve you well as long as you don't want it to be an actual server.

"Huh?" In other words, it's basically a portable hard disk drive with full multimedia capability built in. And that means you don't need a network to use it and once you stuffed it full of your favorite stuff you can take it with you to a friend's place or on the road with you for business trips or vacations. more....

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Entry Level Cayenne Still a Real Porsche

Can a lowly V6 propel a 4800 pound Porsche to the kind of blistering speeds for which the company's vehicles are known? Or is it more a way to save some bucks and gas while still getting the Porsche cachet?

Well, with a small caveat on the propulsion part, my answer to both questions would have to be "yes". more....

Affordable Brother All-in-One Does Nearly Everything

It won't shine your shoes or make tea, but Brother's new MFC-990CW printer will handle just about any printing/scanning/faxing task you may throw at it.

This $230 unit is also small enough to fit on a desktop – as long as it's a fairly wide one – taking up less than half the space of the last (laser) Brother multi-function printer I reviewed. So if a small size is important to you and you don't mind the thirst of inkjets, this may be a good unit for you. more....

Mitsubishi's Lancer Evolution a Fast Friend

It's raw! It's visceral! It's "Basic transportation on steroids"!

It's the 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, a superly-souped up version of the Japanese carmaker's mainstream sedan, a car designed for the rallyer or the wannabe racer.

The Lancer Evolution is all about performance. more....

Big Panasonic Viera Plasma A Toy for the Eyes

It may not be cheap, but Panasonic's 58 inch Viera TH-58PZ85OU 1080p plasma TV is a spectacular unit that will do justice to your high definition sources.

In fact, I'm willing to say it offers one of the best pictures I've ever seen, and I've seen plenty. The $3999 panel brings state-of-the-art video to your home theater, and even includes some Internet-enabling that points the way toward how the World Wide Web could make traditional broadcasting methods obsolete someday. more....

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Entry Level Honda a Good Fit

Newly redesigned for 2009, Honda's entry level Fit is a wonderful little car, an excellent choice for people looking to buy in this market niche.

Time was when the Civic occupied this place in the car world but it has grown in size, price and features over the years until now it is nearly "Lexus-like" compared to those Civics of old. more....

JBL Goes Wireless – While Audio Technica Fights Noise

A surround sound system is best if you want to recreate the whole theatrical experience at home, but stringing the wires for the surround speakers can be a real pain in the buttocks. Likewise, if you want to enjoy your tunes in a noisy environment such as on a plane, there's no substitute for a good pair of noise cancelling headphones.

Two decidedly different tasks requiring very different solutions, but I've found a couple of good products that can help. more...