honda

Voting is now closed! See the exciting conclusion of the Nonviolent Robot Tournament right here.

The nonviolent robotic cream has risen to the top. Figuratively.

All this week, Honda's Asimo and Star Trek: The Next Generation's Commander Data will be hitting the hardwood and competing for your votes. The robot with the most votes will take its place among the pantheon of greats, immortalized as the champion of all nonviolent robots.

It's been a long, crazy tournament (get the brackets here). For the round-by-round results, visit the links below. Or just click here for the championship scouting reports … Read more

We've been trawling the floor on the first day of the Frankfurt auto show, and there have been plenty of new model launches and concept-car unveilings to keep us busy. Mercedes-Benz delivered on its promise to take the wraps off a fleet of new cars, including hybrid versions of its C300 wagon and its ML450 SUV, as well as its F700 research vehicle. Volkswagen and BMW also took advantage of being on their home turf, with the latter unveiling its partnership with Google for a local-search-enabled in-dash navigation system, and VW showing off its Up concept, an ultra-compact rear-engined … Read more

In Honda's exhibition area at the 2007 Frankfurt auto show, we were surprised to find a Civic all painted up in racing colors and promotions. Even stranger, it's a Civic Hybrid, not a car you see on the NASCAR circuit. This Civic Hybrid, the accompanying placard informed us, has been entered in the 2007 Nurburgring 24-hour race. That got our attention.

Honda considers its finish of 108th out of 220 teams starting a "sensational result." We will give them that. Twenty-four hours of laps around the Nurburgring, one of the world's most grueling courses, is … Read more

During a time when many car manufacturers are scaling down to offer smaller cars with improved fuel economy, the new 2008 Honda Accord is hitting the market with a "bigger is better" philosophy.

Besides having an obviously new look, the new Accord is larger in all interior and exterior dimensions. It's longer, wider, and taller on the outside, and roomier on the inside. In fact, the 3.3 cubic feet of additional interior space was enough to bump it into the EPAs "large car" category, although Honda says the car will still compete in the … Read more

While it's not quite as cool as the 2008 Honda S2000 CR (photo gallery), the Accord is probably the car that many of you reading this blog will actually think about buying brand new.

And why not. In this era of expensive fuel, you might take a liking to the car's relatively good gas mileage and redesigned hood (which spiffs up an otherwise humdrum body design) and decide to make it your next family car or train car or I-am-still-paying-off-student-loans car.

Here's the four-door sedan and, yes, that is our esteemed Boston in the background. Different bumper … Read more

Cargo space and performance are the most important car traits among those who post to CarGurus.com, a site that rates cars like TripAdvisor rates hotels.

The No. 1 rated car is the 2007 Jeep Wrangler, according to CarGurus.com's community ratings of the top 10 2007 models, with the 2007 Ford Mustang coming in at No. 2.

The 2007 Toyota Camry, which is known for its gas mileage of 31 mpg on the highway, was No. 3 followed by the also sensible 2007 Honda Accord. The 2007 Ford Focus was also on the list. Except for those three, … Read more

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Give up? They are all among the largest producers of solar modules. And recently Honda and Applied Materials have entered the solar business as well.

If you are a renewable energy fan, you have to get excited when large semiconductor equipment experts like Applied Materials get in the game.

But the most recent prospective entrant (which I have blogged about) is IBM. Big Blue's program is still under wraps, but it has worked on solar technology in its research arm since the 1970s and has massive expertise in … Read more

Have you ever heard of the Homebrew Computer Club? I'm sure you've heard of the products designed by its members: the Apple I and Apple II, the Osborne I, maybe even the earlier Sol-20 (one of the prettiest little personal computers ever; I have a beautiful example myself).

Wikipedia reports that the Homebrew Computer Club stopped meeting in "roughly 1977"-- about 30 years ago. But a small part of it survives. Some of the people in the Homebrew Computer Club spun off the Homebrew Robotics Club, and that club still meets regularly.

I try to … Read more

Wired News points out how the EPA's new fuel economy testing will decrease the value proposition of hybrid cars. Its article, "Hybrid Cars' Fantasy Mileage Ratings Drive Into the Sunset," publishes estimated fuel economy numbers from Edmunds.com that show the Toyota Prius going from a combined city and highway 55mpg down to 46mpg. Similarly, it shows the Honda Civic Hybrid going from a combined 50mpg to 42mpg. The estimations also show the standard gas engine Civic going from a combined 33mpg to 29mpg, as all cars, not just hybrids, are subject to the new testing procedures. … Read more