2011

There have been rumblings and spy shots floating around the Internet for some time, but today Hyundai makes its upcoming compact sport coupe official with the launching of a teaser campaign for the 2011 Hyundai Veloster.

The teaser site doesn't show much more than a countdown to the vehicle's unveiling at the 2011 Detroit auto show on January 10. However, a teaser video found on the automaker's YouTube channel (embedded below) lets us know that the coupe will feature a direct-injected engine--likely a four-cylinder--mated to a dual-clutch automatic gearbox that delivers an estimated 40 mpg. Those numbers … Read more

Ford will debut at the 2011 North American International Auto show a more mini minivan. The C-MAX is a compact family vehicle that was developed for the European market but will be making its way into the U.S. next year. Despite its Americanization, it retains European proportions. At 178 inches the C-MAX is almost 15 inches shorter than the Honda Odyssey and Chrysler Town and Country, yet it still manages to seat up to seven.

Ford describes the vehicle as a 5+2, meaning it seats five in the first two rows with two smaller seats in the third … Read more

Links from Wednesday's episode of Loaded:

eBay launches Gifts Nearby to help you shop offline

Microsoft wants to enable the Kinect to recognize finger gestures

The new FourSquare iPhone app lets you comment on your friends' location choices

The state of Oregon will now allow spell check on state exams

And that's all folks! Loaded is on hiatus through the end of the year. We will see you at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas for new tech galore! Have happy and healthy holidays!

I have to admit; once again, I'm heading into another CES with pretty low expectations when it comes to anything significantly new or different in camcorders. Thankfully, we seem to have already reached ludicrous maximus on lens lengths, so while we'll probably see longer lenses than last year's at many price points, I don't think we'll hear claims of even longer ones for the current longest models.

But replacing the long lens claims, the most hyped feature we'll probably see is more 3D, thanks to companies that are trying to sell more 3D TVs … Read more

Links from Monday's episode of Loaded:

Best Buy scraps its restocking fee policy

Google TV may not be ready for its closeup when the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show kicks off next month

The Privacy Bill of Rights aims to regulate companies' data collection practices

The U.K. government wants to make all pornography opt-in only

Google's PowerMeter can now track your home energy use via your home broadband if you have a PowerCost Monitor

TellMyGeo is the app version of "I've fallen and I can't get up!"

And don't miss tonight's lunar eclipse … Read more

It's the final new show of 2010, and we use it to host a relaxed roundtable discussion about last-minute holiday shopping; check out some holiday cards sent by video game companies; and tune into the perfect iPad app for cats.

It's also a perfect time for an end-of-year office clean out, so there are tons of video game goodies to give away. Leave a comment on our Facebook page and we'll randomly pick some stocking-stuffer recipients this week.

Bonus: You can download the show's theme song as a free MP3 here for a limited time!

… Read more

As if offering what appears to be the first 450Mbps Wireless-N router on the market, the TEW-691GR, weren't enough, Trendnet today announced that it's shipping the first access point offering the same speed, the 450Mbps Wireless-N TEW-690AP.

An access point, which doesn't have routing functionality, is designed to add wireless capability to a nonwireless router or network. A wireless router has both routing functionality and a built-in access point. The new Trendnet access point, therefore, is a good solution for an existing network that doesn't have wireless capability or one that has legacy wireless, such as Wireless-G or Wireless-B. It's also good for those who want to replace their existing 300Mbps Wireless-N networks with a faster one.… Read more

Verizon Wireless confirmed via its Twitter account today that it will launch new Android devices with support for its growing 4G LTE network at CES 2011.

We don't know exactly which devices the carrier will showcase at its January 6 press event, but potential handsets include the Droid Incredible HD or a Verizon-branded LG Optimus 2X.

It's also possible that we could see a Motorola tablet that has been getting a lot of attention lately. Moto recently began teasing a new Honeycomb-based tablet for the conference, which ought to be the same unit demonstrated by Andy Rubin at … Read more

2010 has ended with a flurry of activity in the streaming video space, with Apple TV, Google TV, Boxee, Roku, and others introducing new or updated products. We expect that CES 2011 will continue the move toward streaming video content, with a few other new trends.

Streaming video take center stage Not that we ever doubted it, but streaming video is the future of home theater. Blu-ray will always be available for videophiles, but services like Netflix, Vudu, Amazon VOD, Hulu Plus, and iTunes are more affordable and extremely convenient. While Netflix is already available on nearly every device, we'… Read more