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Vilner updates Smart Fortwo [w/videos]

Filed under: Aftermarket, Europe, Videos, Hatchback, Smart

2011 Vilner Smart Fortwo - Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2011 Smart Fortwo, despite all its trying, is a car that needs all the help it can get. True, a big part of the car's problem is that it just doesn't make very much sense for the American market. That said, it's underpowered, uninspiring to drive, terrifying on the highway, and not particularly efficient, given its size. It also features one of the worst transmissions in motoring.

Enter Vilner, a Bulgarian custom shop that has tried with some success to make the car just a little more appealing. Built for a Bulgarian businessman, the Vilner Smart Fortwo employs a design scheme the company has dubbed "square style."

Inside and outside the car gets a square motif, which translates nicely into a completely redone interior featuring quilted upholstery. Outside, the car gets loud, oversize orange wheels and serious amounts of chrome. While Vilner takes the styling of the Smart to a new, supercar-aping level, the go bits have been left alone. Despite the lack of power adders, Vilner's efforts have gone a long way to making the Fortwo a bit more appealing. Read the full press release and check out two videos after the jump.

Continue reading Vilner updates Smart Fortwo [w/videos]

Vilner updates Smart Fortwo [w/videos] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 May 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trailer: Female Vampires Party Hard in We Are the Night

Female vampires rule the Berlin club scene in We Are the Night, as evidenced in this stylish new trailer for the horror movie. Directed by Dennis Gansel (The Wave), the film follows a trio of brassy bloodsuckers who recruit a fourth woman into their hard-partying gang.

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MeeGo 1.2 lands for netbooks and tablets, leaves handsets hanging on the telephone

Just because Nokia has done everything short of taping a "Dear John" letter to MeeGo's mirror doesn't mean the OS is dead. In fact, Intel's Linux-based baby just got a refresh to version 1.2. So what's new this go around? Well, primarily it's under the hood stuff, like improved Atom support and bug fixes out the ying yang. New audio and networking stacks have also been added for A2DP streaming and HSPA+ support. The tablet UI that Intel was showing off in February is has arrived, to complement the standard netbook version and the in-car interface. Sadly, the handset edition was left out of this update. Those eager to dip their toes in the MeeGo water can download the latest version at the source link.

[Thanks, Khan]

MeeGo 1.2 lands for netbooks and tablets, leaves handsets hanging on the telephone originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 15:56:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Medco: Drug usage on the rise again

Drug usage, which dipped during the recession, appears to be on the rise again, according to Medco's new drug trend report. The drug use gauge provides to hospital administrators a clearer picture of what kind of medical conditions might drive admissions patterns in the future, and also suggests more patients may be able to pay for their healthcare, as many shun filling their prescriptions during leaner times.

The annual report shows a 3.7 percent increase in spending on drugs in 2010, about the same as 2009. However, the 2.1 percent increase in drug usage was the biggest jump since 2005. Most of the latter jump was attributed to medications to control chronic conditions such as diabetes.

Overall drug costs rose 1.6 percent, although much of that was moderated by the use of generics. By contrast, the costs of brand name drugs rose 9.4 percent.

The costs of drugs to treat cancer rose more dramatically than others, as they were up 11.5 percent. Gleevec, for instance, a drug that commonly is used for treating leukemia patients, rose in cost by 16.7 percent.

For more information:
- here's the Medco report
- read this Wall Street Journal Health Blog post

Related Articles:
Medco to pay pharmacists for closing medication loop
Medco want to lower costs for seniors
Medco to launch e-prescribing study with CMS

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Microsoft shutters Pioneer Studios, we pour one out for J Allard

It's been about a year since he left Microsoft, but the J Allard era came to a more definitive close yesterday, with the shuttering of his brainchild, Pioneer Studios. Microsoft opened the incubation lab more than three years ago as an entrepreneurial space where designers could toy around with new consumer technologies. The tragically shelved Courier tablet was first developed within Pioneer's exposed brick walls, where Allard and his Alchemy Ventures team also worked on the Xbox, Zune and Windows Phone 7. Now, however, a Microsoft spokeswoman has confirmed that the downtown Seattle office is no longer occupied, telling CNET that many of the lab's employees have either left, or moved on to different positions within the company. Pioneer co-founder Georg Petschnigg left Microsoft in April to pursue an "undisclosed new venture," while fellow godfather Jonathan Harris is still at Redmond, where he serves as "principle experience director," according to their respective LinkedIn profiles. The spokeswoman didn't offer a specific reason for the decision, but in a now-ominous video posted to Microsoft's developer site back in October, Petschnigg acknowledged that the unit's innovative spirit would frequently lead to dead ends. "Often times our work just doesn't go anywhere," he explained, adding that Pioneer would only pursue projects expected to bring in more than $100 million a year. "That's one of the perils of being an entrepreneur." See the full video after the break.

Continue reading Microsoft shutters Pioneer Studios, we pour one out for J Allard

Microsoft shutters Pioneer Studios, we pour one out for J Allard originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 05:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Does It Make Sense To Autograph Ebooks?

One of the things we've seen that has been used, quite frequently, by content creators in offering "premium" packages, is getting something physical "signed" by the content creator -- a CD case, a book, etc. In fact, we've made use of this ourselves, and sold a bunch of signed books. However, in a world where so much goes purely digital, is there still a way to do a signature? And if you can, is it still valuable? It seems that some are starting to experiment with the idea. Famed best-selling author Robert Kiyosaki (of Rich Dad, Poor Dad fame) is trying out a new offering in which he'll digitally autograph some ebooks. Basically, readers who get this ebook will get an extra digital page inserted in their copies, which will have his signature. And each signature is unique -- he can even add personalized messages.

There are some limitations. It's only available on one day and only via a live online chat. Also, it only works on the Kindle, which raises questions concerning just how "future proof" it will really be.

I'm certainly intrigued by the idea, but I can't see it really catching on to quite the same level. I would bet, for many, that it doesn't seem nearly as "real" or "authentic" to make it valuable. Perhaps I'm wrong and some will find it really compelling. I guess we'll see.

What I find much more interesting is the overall technology behind this. While we all knew it was coming, we're finally starting to see the technology put into place that can create customized and interactive books, rather than limiting them solely to the static word (not that there's anything wrong with that in many cases, but I like to look at what new and innovative ideas can come out of these things). If you can personalize content in an ebook, it seems that builds up a range of possibilities. Perhaps, rather than a signature, some people wouldn't mind an eBook that comes with a personalized message of the day, or via which the author can respond to questions. On top of that, it suggests a day when it will be more common to create more customized books, and even allowing for updating books that continue to evolve. We're really just on the cusp of what the technology will allow, and I don't think doing digital autographs is really the key killer app here.

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HTC Flyer lands at Best Buy on May 22nd for $500, Magic Pen sold separately

The 16GB-equipped, 7-inch Flyer from HTC is making its way west this week. Best Buy, which gets the honor of exclusively launching the WiFi-only Android tablet in the US, has revealed Sunday as the official first day of availability for the Flyer, at a price of $500. As you'll recall, the stylus that ships in the retail box just about everywhere else will be markedly missing from the Best Buy bundle, costing an extra $80 to those who simply must have it. You'll be able to purchase your Flyer online and at all brick-and-mortar Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores, but if mobile connectivity is more important to you, we'd advise holding out a little while longer for the 3G- and 4G-capable Evo View variety on Sprint.

HTC Flyer lands at Best Buy on May 22nd for $500, Magic Pen sold separately originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 20 May 2011 02:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Journalists Killed in Libya, News Breaks on Facebook

When the first Western photojournalists covering the conflict in Libya were killed Wednesday, the world found out about it through Facebook and Twitter. Now the Facebook page of one of the photographers has become a defacto memorial for the online community to grieve his death and honor his life. Oscar-nominated photographer and filmmaker, Tim Hetherington, [...]

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May 3, 2000: Geocaching Gets Geeks Going in Great Outdoors

2000: A “geocache” is hidden in the woods outside of Beaver Creek, Oregon, and the first “Great American GPS Stash Hunt” is on. The stash, squirreled away by Dave Ulmer, an Oregon computer consultant and GPS enthusiast, was intended to test the accuracy of the global positioning system following a presidential order to disable the selective-availability [...]

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Online Gaming Startup We R Interactive Raises $5 Million From Private Backers

Online games publisher We R Interactive this morning announced that it has raised $5 million in second round funding from a slew of private investors, including Elio Leoni-Sceti, former CEO of EMI Music and Paul Fitzsimons, ex-media sector partner at Apax Partners. The company secured initial funding upon launch back in July 2010, although it's unclear how much they raised then. The proceeds of the financing round will be used to support the ongoing development and international roll-out of the startup's first social game, I AM PLAYR, a point-of-view game that allow players to experience the life of football players through their eyes.

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