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How I broke the rugged Sonim XP3300 Force (review)

The joke's on you, Sonim XP300 Force. You taunted me with your thick rubber sidings and waterproof, mud-flap-protected charger port and headphone jacks. You bragged with your impressive laundry list of certifications for withstanding heat, cold, humidity, dust, salt, and shock. You laughed in the face of water.

But now you're cracked, over, kaput. Spilling shards of glass as effortlessly as a dog shakes of water after a swim. All I did was toss you a few feet into the air. It's true; I have it on video.

OK, so maybe it could have been a few … Read more

Toyota recalls nearly 1.7 million vehicles worldwide

It's almost a flashback to 2010. Toyota Motor Sales today announced a voluntary recall of nearly 1.7 million vehicles worldwide for various issues.

A safety recall to inspect the installation of fuel pressure sensors involves about 245,000, 2006 to 2009 Lexus GS and IS models sold in the United States. The recall also includes 10,000 vehicles sold in Europe. A separate recall involves 141,000 Avensis cars sold in Europe and New Zealand. These cars may have irregular fuel pipes that increase the likelihood of cracks and further leakage.

The automaker said on its Web site: &… Read more

Car Tech Live 200: BMW turns your new X3 into a video event (podcast)

Your next car WILL be connected; the Chrysler 300 gets a big change under the hood; Toyota eyes China with nervousness when it comes to electric cars; and we drive the latest Camry. (Yeah, we know. But they sell a ton of 'em.)

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 200 SHOW NOTES

• Chrysler 300 Hybrid

• Keyless cars not that hard to hack

• Watch your BMW X3 being built. Oh boy.

• Toyota designs a way around Chinese access to electric motor minerals

• California has the highest cost for charging EV's -- do they make sense here?… Read more

Car Tech Live 199: Special from the Detroit auto show (podcast)

Toyota Prius V, Hyundai Veloster, new Audi A6 hybrid, and BMW 1 Series M all vie for our attention.

Subscribe with iTunes (audio) Subscribe with iTunes (video) Subscribe with RSS (audio) Subscribe with RSS (video) EPISODE 199 SHOW NOTES

? 2012 Toyota Prius V

? 2012 Hyundai Veloster

? New Ford Police Interceptors

? Mercedes SLS AMG E-Cell

? New Chrysler 300

? CNET's LOLCars gallery!

Pretec announces tiny USB 3.0 flash drives

LAS VEGAS--It seems that portable hard drives get progressively smaller as CES 2011 continues.

Yesterday, Verbatim introduced the USB 3.0 External SSD, which beat the recently reviewed LaCie FastKey both in terms of storage space and portability. Now, as the show is nearing its end, Pretec, a company known more as a maker of system memory, has unveiled an ultracompact USB 3.0 flash drive of its own, the i-Disk Rex 100.

Measuring 2.9 inches by 0.7 inch by 0.2 inch, the i-Disk Rex 100 is arguably the tiniest flash drive in the world that offers … Read more

Samsung HMX-P300, HMX-P100 minicamcorders announced

LAS VEGAS--It looks like Samsung is creating a nice little family of minicamcorders. The HMX-P300 and HMX-P100 are pretty much higher- and lower-end versions of the same model, but the P100 isn't so crippled that it's not worth checking out.

The P100 has a backside-illuminated 5-megapixel CMOS sensor for better low-light recording, a fixed focal length f2.2 lens, and a 2.3-inch LCD with an 80-degree viewing angle so you have more shooting and viewing flexibility.

The P300 gets a backside-illuminated 8-megapixel CMOS sensor, a 3x f2.8 zoom lens, and a 3-inch touch screen.

Both can … Read more

Netgear debuts wireless router with built-in powerline support

LAS VEGAS--Powerline is a network connectivity solution that turns your home's electrical wiring into data cables and hence allows for expanding the wired networking through out the house without having to run network cable all over the place.

You can conveniently add a power-line connection to any existing network by using a power-line kit, such as the Linksys PLK300, the WD Livewire, or the Netgear AV 200. All of these kits include at least two adapters, the minimum you need to create the first power-line connection, since you need an adapter at each end. After that you can buy … Read more

Half-scale classic cars for half-pints

So maybe you can't actually buy the pint-sized Volkswagen Gol concept featured last week (and with a top speed of 17 mph, who'd want to?) but what would you say to a half-scale Mercedes-Benz 300 SL, Porsche Speedster, or Jaguar E-Type?

These tiny Pocket Classics roadsters feature working lights, turn signals, horn, and, most importantly, a 110cc gasoline engine with a three-speed automatic transmission. On models that don't come with the optional speed limiter, top speed is 46 mph. Of course, there's no word on how long it would take to reach that speed or how … Read more

Android-powered NF-300i frames pics--in 3D

In today's slightly bonkers gadget news, Nikon has unveiled the NF-300i, a digital photo frame powered by Android that turns your photos into a 3D extravaganza--all without the aid of funny glasses.

The frankly rather ugly 7.2-inch digital frame boasts a double-density lenticular screen with 800x600-pixel resolution. It works in 2D mode or displays your 2D photos in 3D, after they're converted in the cloud by Nikon's online photo storage service.

The NF-300i packs 4GB of internal memory, alongside a USB socket, and Ethernet and 802.11b/g Wi-Fi to show pictures from the Web.

Read … Read more