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CNET Live - Episode 68

Author Sherry Boschert joins us to explore the world of plug-in hybrid technology.

Watch the show on CNET TV.

Things we Crave

Toshiba XDE upconverting DVD player

Treo Pro

First Look

Gateway P-7811FX.

Download of the week

GParted LiveCD

Quick Tip

Set your aspect ratio

Your calls

Want an alternative to mojopac? If you just want portable apps, try portableapps.com. There is also ceedo and U3. I mentioned a virtual container creator called Altiris Software Virtualization Service. (Yeah I mistakenly called it VMware. Sorry y'all!)

Is there a difference between upscaling and upconverting? Not that we know of. … Read more

Don't lose what you've found: WebMynd

WebMynd (download) is a Firefox extension its developers hope solves a common Web problem: finding again that which what you've already found. WebMynd adds two very useful functions to your browsing: site-by-site recording of where you've been, and integrating your history (plus Delicious bookmarks) into specific Google searches.

The site-by-site recording creates a timeline view of your browsing and a photo browser-like display. Want the site you found Friday after lunch? Rewind using the Reel view. Looking for the site with the purple logo thing? The Grid view is good for your visual memory. Since you might not … Read more

Hybrid makeovers help owners dump the pump

Countless small start-ups and Detroit automakers are trying to revive electric cars from an early grave, although there's a long road ahead before electricity might serve as a "fuel" for the masses.

In the meantime, however, a handful of companies aims to put the power cord in the hands of drivers who want to transform their gas-electric hybrids into plug-in hybrids, or to replace the internal combustion innards of other cars with all-electric systems.

The businesses are touting plug-in hybrid systems that can be driven up to 40 miles on batteries alone, with average fuel economy of 100 miles per gallon. The cars use gasoline once the batteries drain.

It can cost more than $10,000 to install a plug-in hybrid system on a Toyota Prius. Is the limited electric driving range worth the expense?

Absolutely, according to Felix Kramer, founder of CalCars, which counts nearly 200 plug-in hybrid conversions around the country. The Palo Alto, Calif.-based nonprofit in 2004 converted the first Prius with batteries that power up from an electrical outlet. … Read more

Featured Freeware: PDF Download

The problem with opening PDF files in Firefox is that it tends to slow down your performance, especially if you open a number of them. This simple little extension gives you complete control over PDF files in a Toolbar button.

Rather than stick you all alone with a browser-jarring PDF file, the PDF Download extension provides you the option to: download the file locally, open it with Firefox using the PDF download options settings, view the PDF as an HTML file in the browser, bypass PDF Download, or cancel the link. The first two options are self-explanatory, while the "… Read more

Featured Freeware: PicLens

Cross-platform, cross-browser, and proud of it, browser plug-in PicLens is to Web surfing as an IMAX screen is to a 13-inch laptop monitor. In theory, it takes the images it finds on a Web site, expands them to super-extra-large size, and then lets you surf through them in a classy scaling interface that we think we last saw in Iron Man. Or maybe it was The Dark Knight.

Installing it places a button on the Toolbar. When you're on a PicLens-enabled Web site, click the PicLens button to activate the PicLens interface. Your screen will go black, and all … Read more

PicLens adds YouTube, Amazon

The fun browser add-on PicLens has incorporated YouTube and Amazon.com into the short but hopefully soon-to-grow list of supported Web sites. Compatible with Firefox on Windows and Mac, Internet Explorer, and Safari, PicLens recreates your surfing experience with a futuristic graphical display.

As Rafe talked about in February, PicLens highlights the image content of a site and allows you to whip back and forth using mouse gestures instead of conventional static browsing. If you're familiar with how it works with an image site like Flickr, the YouTube interface is identical. The PicLens plug-in will install a grid button … Read more

Car source Kelley Blue Book goes green

Correction, 1:35 p.m. PDT: This story initially misspelled the name of the company known for its car buying guide. It is Kelley Blue Book.

The company known for supplying the "blue book" value of cars is turning green.

Kelley Blue Book on Thursday introduced a section to its Web site for sorting through the many options for buying fuel-efficient cars.

There are, of course, hybrid cars that run partially on batteries. Plug-in hybrids, such as the Chevy Volt and models from Toyota, are expected in the next two years. The Tesla Roadster, a $100,000 sports … Read more

Audio slideshow: Garage finds business ripe for hybrids

With the growing popularity of hybrid gas-electric cars like the Toyota Prius, garages are cropping up to serve eco-conscious drivers by specializing in hybrid car maintenance and repairs.

CNET reporters took a closer look this week at one such auto shop. The solar-powered, woman-owned Luscious Garage in San Francisco caters to hybrid owners. Its mechanics aim to be inviting as well as eco-friendly. Since opening last fall, the shop has attracted more than 100 customers. Soon, it will expand with a space for converting hybrids to plug-in electric hybrid vehicles.

Take a look at some behind-the-scenes footage from Luscious Garage … Read more

Plug-In 2008: Electric cars charging ahead

Plug-In 2008 brought together Detroit automakers, utilities, and green-tech start-ups in San Jose, Calif., this week. Organizers say it drew more than 600 people.

Here's a summary of CNET News' coverage related to the event:

Video: Plug-In 2008: Plug-in electric cars generate buzzCNET News reporter Kara Tsuboi stops by the world's first showcase of its kind to see what's new with plug-in hybrids.

Google philanthropy funds Aptera and ActaCell 'Smart' electric grids to ease zap from plug-ins? GM partners with utilities to advance plug-in hybrids Coulomb unveils electric-car charging stations Photos: Powering a future for plug-in hybrids … Read more