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'SINDH KALAY', England (CNN) -- The aroma of freshly baking flatbread wafts through the air as a unit of British soldiers position themselves for a quick patrol around the village of Sindh Kalay. A British soldier on patrol in the mock Afghan village of Sindh Kalay. Market vendors hawk grapes and melons, as a group of village elders sit smoking water pipes and suspicious-looking men lurk beside battered motorcycles. What should the soldiers do? Conduct a weapons search? Approach the village elders first? In the complex political and cultural terrain of Afghanistan, what is the best course of action? Except this is not Afghanistan. It's Norfolk, England. Instead of the Hindu Kush mountains, it is the green ladscape and tidy farmhouses of the English countryside that stretch out behind them. Welcome to the British Army's state-of-the art training ground. It cost more than $20 million to build and every British soldier serving in Afghanistan will do his or her training here. "I think it's the closest thing you are going to get short of being in Afghanistan itself," says Col. David Colthup of the 2nd Battalion of the Yorkshire Regiment. His troops have already served one tour of duty in Afghanistan's Helmand province and are training for another. British troops serving in Helmand province are tasked with mentoring and training Afghan security forces. Not an easy job in a Taliban stronghold and Afghanistan's center of opium production. "Ultimately, a soldier joins the army and trains to fight. That's what a soldier trains to do. But today, it's a much, much more complex environment," explains Colthup. "The business of being able to interact either through an interpreter or through Afghan security forces, whether they are police or army. And to understand how the people operate and how we can interact better with them. Because ultimately, that's what it's about," he says. The most distinctive features of Sindh Kalay are the high three-meter walls that make up the village compound, creating narrow alleyways difficult for troops to patrol. The village is staffed with Afghan asylum-seekers, many of whom have fled the Taliban. They play the roles of market vendors, village elders and sometimes Afghan security forces. Several Afghan women are also on hand, useful for training British soldiers on the religious and cultural sensitivities of entering an Afghan home. Watch British troops training in mock Afghan village » The Taliban insurgents are played by Nepalese Ghurkha soldiers authorized to handle weapons. They play their roles silently, unable to partake in the Pashtun banter among the Afghans. Fazel Beria is also an asylum-seeker from Afghanistan. He is responsible for recruiting and for creating the sights and smells of Sindh Kalay and is easily identifiable as the only Afghan in the market in Western clothes. He beams with pride walking down the bazaar and clearly relishes his role in training the British Army. "Everything with the culture comes up with the issue of hearts and minds," he explains. "If you want to win that, you need to know about their culture. You need to respect their culture, their religion and their way of life." He gives high marks to the soldiers training so far. After each exercise, the Afghan actors talk directly to the soldiers about what went wrong and what went right. Sometimes, it's the little things that count. "Yes, there have been quite a lot of surprises," Beria says. Like Afghan will sit cross legged for hours. "The British soldier cannot do that," he laughs. "The Afghan will be sitting very comfortable and the British soldier is not. So, they have to get used to it." See photos of British troops on patrol in Sindh Kalay -- and for real in Afghanistan » Previously, the army trained on farmhouses and in urban neighborhoods that resembled Northern Ireland more than Afghanistan. But Sindh Kalay does more than mimic the physical reality of Afghanistan. It also mirrors the changing tactics on the ground. Troops are grilled in

British soldiers train in mock Afghan village before deployment to Afghanistan . Village features Afghan asylum-seekers as vendors, elders, Afghan forces . Taliban militants are played by Nepalese Ghurkha soldiers . Village trains soldiers to understand Afghan customs, respect Afghan culture .

(AOL Autos) -- At the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and MINI showed the world what electric vehicles of the future will look like. And the future of driving looks fun. The Dodge Circuit EV can blast from 0-to-60 mph in around 4 seconds. Those in the know realize that sometime in the future, the vast majority of light cars and trucks in the US will feature electric final drive systems. The motors used in these systems will be powered by batteries, fuel cells, on-board generators, and perhaps even the sun. But this open issue doesn't change the inevitability of this reality. Given our current economic times, reality demands practical, tangible, and achievable ideas of what electric vehicles (or "EVs" for short) might actually look like. This is it ... Chrysler Three of the four electric vehicles Chrysler showed in Detroit, Michigan, were shown at other events and even to Washington bureaucrats. Each of these vehicles is a running prototype, not some pie-in-the-sky-we'll-never-build that idea. ENVI is the special group of engineers at Chrysler that develops the company's EVs. To date, the ENVI group has developed four electrically powered models, each quite different from the other: a Dodge Circuit EV sports car (rear-wheel drive), a Chrysler Town & Country minivan (front-wheel-drive), a Jeep Wrangler Unlimited (all-wheel-drive), and now a Jeep Patriot (front-wheel-drive). Chrysler promises to offer at least one of these models in 2010, and three more by 2013. AOL Autos: Dodge Circuit EV photos Chrysler approaches electric vehicles with simple plug-and-play engineering. Every one of their vehicles uses similar electric drive motors (only varying in power output), advanced lithium-ion batteries, and a power management controller. Each plugs in to 110- or 220-volt household outlets for recharging. The Chrysler and both Jeeps use an on-board range-extending battery charger (a generator). This generator automatically turns on after the vehicle's initial batter charge has been spent (usually within a range of 40 miles), supplying extra voltage that give these three vehicles an estimated range of approximately 400 miles. The generator is powered by a small gasoline-powered engine that runs with exceptional efficiency. This technology is similar in concept to what General Motors has shown in their Chevrolet Volt, a vehicle that should be ready for production in 2010. AOL Autos: Cadillac Converj photos The Dodge Circuit carries a larger battery pack and no generator, so its range on the charge it carries is approximately 150-200 miles. Its large battery pack combined with compact dimensions and the exceptional torque provided by its electric motor blast the car from zero-to-sixty mph in around four seconds, exceptionally fast for any sports car regardless of engine type. Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz used the 2009 Detroit Auto Show to showcase their Concept BlueZERO vehicles. The Mercedes approach was to develop one efficient body style, and then equip it with three different electric drive packages. AOL Autos: Mercedes Stirling Moss photos Much of the hardware for the all-electric front-wheel-drive propulsion units is built into what Mercedes calls "sandwich-floor" architecture that the company uses on several production cars. The design helps keep heavy components mounted low on the chassis for better handling, enhanced safety, and maximized interior room. All three Concept BlueZERO vehicles include electric drive and batteries. The E-Cell uses a large battery pack that is said to deliver a range of 120 miles. The F-Cell utilizes a smaller battery pack, but supplements the vehicle's range with a hydrogen fuel cell. The fuel cell produces electricity to recharge the battery pack that extends cruising range to 240 miles. The E-Cell Plus, with a range of approximately 360 miles, is the distance champion. The key is the on-board generator powered by tiny 1-liter turbo-charged three-cylinder gasoline engine.

Latest technologies debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show . Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and MINI show what electric cars of future will be . Toyota confirms plans to add as many as 10 new gas/electric hybrid vehicles . The "charged" MINI E can run up to 150 miles on a full battery pack .

(AOL Autos) -- Buying a used car may seem like a simple topic. Used car sales company CARMAX had an influx of trucks and SUVs after gas prices skyrocketed. But when you begin slicing and dicing the various possibilities among approximately 3.3 million vehicles that are for sale at any given time, interesting insights into consumer preferences begin to emerge. For Krista Glotzbach, director of marketing at Vast.com, the San Francisco, California-based aggregator of data (which provides used vehicle search data for AOL Autos), the various permutations are nearly endless. But users shouldn't worry because, with the help of search filters, vehicle fashion statements (what color do you want) and budgetary considerations (what price range do you want) easily come to the surface for faster used car searching. Because Vast.com has a variety of sources for its data, including Web "crawls" (an automated Internet search for used vehicle information), the data is, by definition, revealing in its own right. AOL Autos: Safest cars But industry player CARFAX, which makes its vehicle history reports available to the public, provides a different kind of insight. AOL Autos: Used luxury cars As Larry Gamache, director of communications, pointed out, used car sales dominate the automotive industry. With that volume comes its share of fraud, notably in the marketing of vehicles damaged by flood. And even if a vehicle doesn't look bad, what you can't see can hurt. "The problem with flood-damaged cars is that they're rotting from the inside out," Gamache said. It's also a potentially big safety issue. "Air bags that have been submerged do not function properly," Gamache noted. "They either don't deploy or could deploy at speed." But not all used cars have skeletons in their closets. Actually, most of the vehicles sold in the U.S. are used. AOL Autos: Most popular crossovers Here are a few water cooler tidbits that might make you say "hmm": 1. Three out of four automotive transactions in the U.S. involve previously owned vehicles. 2. The average vehicle will likely have three owners in its lifetime. 3. Industry experts believe one of every 25 air bags that have been deployed have not been properly replaced. They're also the most stolen item from a vehicle (having surpassed radios). AOL Autos: Best resale value cars 4. About half the cars that are flood damaged end up back on the road. As far as Hurricane Katrina is concerned, estimates are that about 200,000 vehicles were dried out and resold. 5. The most frequently searched price range for a used vehicle is under $5,000. 6. Consumers lose as much as $4 billion a year due to odometer fraud, with the average rollback being 15,000 miles. AOL Autos: Best hybrid cars 7. There are more used Silverado pickup trucks for sale than any other model (nearly 120,000 throughout the U.S.) 8. Texas has more used vehicles than any other state (more than 220,000); Houston alone has more than 32,000 on the market at any given time. 9. Chevrolet tops the list of most-available brands in the U.S. (with about 450,000 available), followed by Ford (425,000). There are "only" about 280,000 Toyotas on the market at any given time. 10. Silver is the most available color in the used vehicle market -- more than 447,000 vehicles, followed by black (429,000), white (409,000), and red (321,000). Blue (309,000) and gray (277,000) are also aplenty. The color you're least likely to find? Pink, with just 249 used vehicles listed. 11. Age does appear to matter, at least when it comes to a used vehicle. Nearly half those listed at any one time (about 1.5 million) are model years 2007-2008. 12. Automatic transmissions outnumber manual 10 to 1 in the market for used vehicles. 13. Six cylinder vehicles are the most popular on

Three out of four transactions in the U.S. involve used vehicles . Average vehicle will likely have three owners in its lifetime . Pink is the least available color on the market, with just 249 used vehicles listed . Texas has more used vehicles than any other state .

(AOL Autos) -- Collecting cars is an expensive hobby. Here's a twist: Buy a new car today that will be worth a fortune as a collectible years from now. The Audi S5 is a slick coupe with solid credentials. Best of all, you don't need to break the bank to buy a hot and value-appreciating ride. But you do have to be patient, since waiting is key. "Many consumers could be driving a future collector car right now," McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty, a specialty insurer of collector cars in the United States, and himself a respected collector car valuation expert. "Our goal was to find cars that are currently on the road but may be considered nostalgic in 15 to 20 years. Each car on Hagerty's Hot List possesses a 'buzz,' a wow factor that resonates with consumers of all ages, many cars being daily drivers that turn heads already." Why do some vehicles become tomorrow's collector car? Hagerty says it's a combination of pop culture popularity, limited production numbers and the style of the next generation of collectors. Hagerty's Hot List, the top 10 collector cars of the future: 1. Cadillac XLR-V Roadster Under the hood sits a hand-built 4.4-liter V8 that's been supercharged and puts out 443 horsepower. This is a serious domestic roadster that competes with the Mercedes SL-Class, Porsche 911 Cabriolet and Jaguar XKR, as well as the four-seat BMW M6 convertible. AOL Autos: Cadillac XLR Roadster 2. Lotus Exige S Most practical people will find the Lotus Exige is a miserable little car -- that is if you are shopping for a grocery getter! Research uncovered one anonymous review stating "Bottom Line ... my heart beats faster when I think about this car ... it is that rewarding." AOL Autos: Lotus Exige S 3. Audi S5 A slick coupe with solid credentials. It provides good looks, impressive all-wheel-drive handling and an affordable price tag for this segment. AOL Autos: Audi S5 4. Mustang Shelby GT 500 KR The new GT500 KR (King of the Road) takes the bare bones of a GT500 and turns it into a 540 horsepower muscle car that pays tribute to the legendary Carroll Shelby. Production is expected to be around 1,000. AOL Autos: Mustang Shelby GT 500 KR 5. Chevrolet Corvette Z06 The ferocious Z06 is a fixed-roof coupe with a 7.0-liter V8 that produces 505 horsepower. The last 50 years have proven that most Corvettes eventually become collectible. AOL Autos: Chevrolet Corvette Z06 6. Smart At first look, the Smart seems too small to be practical. It's not. Rather, it is a marvel of packaging efficiency. This is the first year they will be available en masse in the United States. 7. Subaru Impreza WRX STi Some Subaru enthusiasts may not like the idea of being spotted in a hatchback, but this will make it more collectible down the road. 8. Honda S2000 CR Less than 2,000 of the CR editions will be built. This is a high-performance version of the stock S2000 that is regarded as Honda's only true sports car. 9. Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky This pair of roadsters from GM have all the necessary ingredients: rear-wheel drive, a powerful engine, independent suspension and an impressive weight balance. 10. Dodge Charger Super Bee It has a 6.1 liter HEMI V8 with 425 horsepower and 420 ft.-lbs. of torque. Need we say more for a family sedan?

The right new car today could be worth a fortune as a collectible later . Cadillac XLR-V Roadster can compete with the Mercedes SL-Class . Less than 2,000 of the Honda S2000 CR editions will be built . The hatchback will make the Subaru Impreza WRX STi a collectible later .

(AOL Autos) -- Have you ever wondered what your neighbors are carrying around in their car's trunk or SUV's cargo hold? I decided to find out -- by asking 100 strangers in a department store parking lot. Strollers, playpens, toys and diapers take up a lot of space, but a lot of parents still had organized trunks. The mission To uncover the secret contents of the average American trunk and cargo hold. The stakeout I spent two weekend afternoons at the Empire Center in Burbank, California, with my camera and notebook, approaching shoppers as they arrived or departed. I identified myself as a reporter for AOL Autos, and asked if I could see what they had in their trunk, and maybe take a picture. I hoped that I'd be able to see a trend in trunks. AOL Autos: Small cars with room in the trunk The raw data My decidedly unscientific study yielded some interesting results. First of all, I discovered that even in a big city (Burbank is a suburb of Los Angeles), people are exceedingly nice if you are respectful and forthright. About 80% of the people I approached were kind, open and helpful, and gladly opened their trunks for a glance. The 20% who refused were either in a rush, guarded or shy -- but they were still remarkably polite. The second surprising thing was that the vast majority of trunks and cargo holds were clean and uncluttered. I really expected to discover overstuffed trunks, full of cast-off items and flea market finds. But even the most fully-used storage areas were tidy and organized. AOL Autos: Used fuel-efficient crossovers Not surprisingly, people with small children tended to have the most crowded trunks and cargo holds. Strollers, playpens, toys and diapers take up a lot of space, but most families have discovered that clean, organized trunks make getting to your kids' supplies much easier and more efficient. AOL Autos: Best new cars for 2009 Another trend I noticed was that athletic folks tend to use their car's trunk as a portable gym locker. I saw a lot of gym bags, sports equipment and sneakers. On a hot day, this was a bit of a mixed blessing; baked sneakers have a decidedly pungent odor. No one seemed to have a good solution to this problem. I would put a cabin air freshener, like the Little Tree, in my trunk if I regularly carried my tennis shoes. AOL Autos: Celebrity cars you can afford For the non-athletic, the most common item I saw was the collapsible chair. One family had an entire beach setup in their trunk: four collapsible chairs, a beach blanket, a sun umbrella and an empty cooler, all neatly tucked against the back wall. They said that they always wanted to be ready for a beach day, should the opportunity arise. Some people were extremely proud of their trunks. One woman bragged that her brother taught her how to organize her tools, and that she had taken the organization to the next level. She had multiple storage boxes in her neat, clean trunk, each with a different set of useful items. AOL Autos: Most fun cars for under $20,000 A few families were downright sheepish about the state of their cargo holds. They apologized in advance before opening the trunk, and said that they were in the middle of a project that had foiled their attempts at organization and cleanliness. I have to take them at their word; I'm not making a return trip to that hot parking lot to follow up. The conclusion After two days pounding the asphalt, I'm pleased to report that I actually uncovered some useful information and some fun trivia. There are good reasons for keeping your trunk as empty as possible: 1. Less junk in the trunk equals less weight, and less weight can mean greater fuel efficiency. 2. Under certain circumstances, shifting content in your trunk can adversely affect handling. 3. An empty trunk provides space for that roadside find or warehouse store bargain. How else

Reporter tries to uncover secret contents of average American trunk . Unscientific study finds vast majority of trunks are clean and uncluttered . Athletic folks tend to use their car's trunk as a smelly, portable gym locker . One trunk includes machete, axe and hammer wrapped in sheet .

(AOL Autos) -- Price of gas got you crying at the pump? Is it eating into your household budget? Well, get used to it. Gas in California, the second worst state, hits $4.59 per gallon for regular unleaded in this July 14 photo. That's the word on the streets as the price of a gallon of gasoline soars to record highs. With regional differentials pushing the price much higher in some places, drivers and small-business owners are finding it hard to cope. But which states' motorists get the best deal, and in which states do drivers pay the most to fill-up? Here come the numbers Alaska has the highest gas prices in the nation, with a gallon of regular gasoline at $4.623, followed by California at $4.583 as of June 30. Hawaii, Connecticut and Washington make up the top five states with highest prices, with New York and D.C. not far behind at $4.292 and $4.160 respectively. Best states to buy gas? Missouri comes out top at $3.862 for a gallon of regular, followed by Oklahoma at $3.866, South Carolina, Mississippi and Arkansas. Iowa, Kansas and Alabama are next in line. AOL Autos: Cars with 30+ MPG for $300 or less per month Past prices We use the term 'best states to buy gas' with this caveat: Back in June 2004, gas hovered at around $1.74 a gallon, according to figures from gasbuddy.com. Geoff Sundstrom, AAA's fuel price analyst, said the primary reasons for rising fuel prices are an increase in demand for petroleum products across the globe and a need for investment in refining infrastructure. "Right now, it is almost impossible to know where oil and gas prices will be in six months to a year," he said. "It's easy to assume that the world economy will continue to grow, we are very clearly at risk of an economic downturn and perhaps a severe economic downturn which could influence the demand side to the point where oil and gas prices may drop. "In 10 to 20 years out, oil and gasoline will continue to be more expensive. But given what's happening in the markets right now, there is some potential that [the] demands side of the equation could fall off a cliff." AOL Autos: Consumer Reports on best fuel-efficient used cars Why so expensive in California? Marie Montgomery, spokeswoman for the Automobile Club of Southern California, says the primary reason behind the high price of gas in California is "market segmentation," a marketing term that basically means California (along with many other states) has developed a "boutique blend" of fuel in a bid to uphold environmental or ecological standards. In California's case, this blend helps clear the state's notorious smog. "We can't use gas they made for Iowa. We use a special blend with additives in it, an ethanol mix," Montgomery said. "When you do that, you can only use refineries that make that gas [mix]. The refineries in California are a major supplier, but, when prices are high and there's not another supplier, we have to go where they make that mix." She pointed out that refineries in Oregon and Washington produce the gas product, and there is a pipeline to Alaska, but that the only other options are shipping in the blend from elsewhere in the nation or Asia, which is not cost-efficient. "People have to figure out how to deal with this on a long-term basis. We've been telling motorists to carpool and here we are in summer, and prices have barely come down," she said. "Usually we're about a month into a downturn, it's cyclical: Prices go up in spring and spike in May, which isn't happening this year. Prices may not come down a lot." Less misery in Missouri Michael Right, vice president of public affairs for AAA Missouri, said his state is usually among the top three in terms of

Price of a gallon of gasoline at record high national average of $4.086 on June 30 . Alaska has the highest gas prices in the nation, Missouri has lowest . Fuel prices rising because of high demand for petroleum products worldwide . Gas taxes and ability to access fuel determine state price of gasoline .

(AOL Autos) -- A directive recently handed down by a Detroit-area suburban mayor has ignited the latest round of a seemingly endless debate -- one that always burns with more intensity in the home of the Big Three than anywhere else. Many residents in the Detroit, Michigan area are auto workers. Thousands have been laid off recently. It's the debate that relates to cars and goes something like this: "Buy American!" vs. "I'll buy what I want!" That debate sometimes, but not always, begins as a civil conversation. But the Detroit area has been hit hard in the last five years by the ongoing, sometimes enormous financial losses posted by the Big Three. The Big Three's financial woes have had a direct impact on the Michigan economy with hundreds of thousands of layoffs and/or buyouts. Given that so many of the state's workers have lost their jobs -- and in some cases, their homes - it sometimes doesn't take long before the car debate escalates into an emotional one. That can lead to angry name-calling and insults - like many of the reader comments that flooded the online edition of the Detroit newspaper that first reported a controversial story. AOL Autos: Best new car deals this month This latest round of the discussion was inspired by a decision made by Jim Fouts, the mayor of Warren, Michigan, a large Detroit suburb and Michigan's third-largest city, and where a good portion of the residents are (or were) autoworkers. In mid-August, Fouts told his department heads, which amount to 40 or 50 of the city's more than 700 employees that he "expects" the next car they buy will be an American model. More to the point, he expects them to drive General Motors or Chrysler vehicles, since both companies have various manufacturing or assembly plants in Warren -- not to mention GM's sprawling Tech Center -- and therefore are the city's two highest taxpayers. Fouts, who drives a 2001 Chrysler Concorde himself, isn't being draconian about it. That is, he hasn't ordered his appointees to run right out and dump their Hondas, Toyotas, Saabs or Audis immediately. "But I strongly suggested that the next car they buy should be an American one, and that I had an equally strong expectation that they will do so," Fouts said. "Legally, since they are 'at-will' employees, I have the right to mandate, and an expectation that they will meet that mandate." AOL Autos: Best hybrid SUVs Some have accused Fouts of over-stepping his authority by "butting in" to his employees' private lives, while others have given the policy a hearty "thumbs up." "Some of them are not enthusiastic about it," Fouts said, noting that one department head currently drives a Mercedes-Benz vehicle. "But many of these department heads make more than $100,000 a year, and I told them that they might not be able to enjoy the economic comforts they currently enjoy if it were not for the amount of taxes that GM and Chrysler pay to the city. AOL Autos: Luxury cars with the best MPG "I think of it as 'economic patriotism.'" Fouts said he did not know how many of his department heads currently drive imports, although one of his appointees, Warren Police Commissioner Bill Dwyer, guessed that about 90 percent of the appointees already drive American-made cars. "But the ones who are not happy about this -- well, they won't talk to [reporters] about that, because they know how I feel about it," said Fouts. Dwyer, who drives a Jeep Cherokee, supports the mayor's "buy American" expectation. "I believe that, the way the economy is that Americans should be buying American cars. And, as department heads, I think it's important for us to be setting an example for the other city workers." AOL Autos: Safest cars One of the reasons usually cited for the U.S. automakers' loss

Detroit mayor sparks debate when he tells employees to buy American cars . Big Three's financial woes have had impact on Michigan economy . Customer: Hypocritical to buy American cars then buy other imported goods . Differences in quality between American and foreign are negligible .

(AOL Autos) -- Ah, that new car smell, that eau de car-logne; it does an ego good while it does a wallet bad. And now it turns out, it can do bad things to your health, too. Air freshners can contain aldehydes, esters and ketones, industry spokesman says. All these years, while we were being offered safety first, last and front, side and rear ways, hardly anyone in the vehicle industry had given much thought to what actually was in that perfume de profit, the new car smell that car buyers sought and bought. As everyone knew, pollution related to vehicles originated from the exhaust pipe, not the shifter knob. It was spewed out the back of the rear, not the back of the rear view mirror. Well, what everyone thought they knew was wrong. It turns out -- take a deep breath -- that most of that new car smell is not some carefully-compounded, luxury, feel-good incense to the Mammon gods. But the new car smell comes from toxic gases. Not only that, but like a two dollar cologne, the effects can linger and linger for years, stinking up not only your shiny new car, but the reputation of the entire vehicle industry itself. AOL Autos: Best new small cars Who says so? Just about everyone in the vehicle business these days. But the initiator was The Ecology Center (EC), a membership-based, nonprofit environmental organization based in Ann Arbor, Michigan. AOL Autos: 10 most fuel-efficient new cars In a 2006 industry-awakening report entitled "Toxic At Any Speed: Chemicals in Cars and the Need for Safe Alternatives", this independent green organization declared that much of the material in most car interiors that produce that new car smell is made with toxic chemicals known to pose major public health risks. The report went on to say that not only are vehicle drivers and passengers breathing toxic air, but are also in constant physical contact with dangerous chemicals leaching from just about every interior surface of a new vehicle. The report says these chemicals give off gases that not only contaminate the air, but also coat interior surfaces with toxic "fog," generally seen as that new car film common to new car interior windshields and windows. These are the same type of chemicals that are, "linked to birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, premature births and early puberty in laboratory animals amongst other serious health problems," according to EC. Fake is probably as bad as real. The companies that market those "new car smell" products that are sold at car washes and auto accessories stores generally will not reveal product contents. One fragrance industry spokesman indicated they can contain artificial leather odor, plus aldehydes, esters and ketones, which are all organic or chemical compounds. AOL Autos: Safest cars under $30,000 Back to real. We are not speaking of plastic doodads here. There is an average of 250 pounds of plastic in new cars, the largest portion used for interior seat cushions, arm rests, door panels, steering wheels, dashboards, wire insulation and the plethora of aircraft-type knobs and switch controls throughout a car's cockpit. AOL Autos: 10 least expensive new cars In addition to acettonitrile, decanol, formaldehyde, naphthalene and carbon disulfide used in foams, adhesives and fabrics, the two major problem chemicals in most new vehicles are (a) the PBDEs, which are used as fire retardants throughout the industry and (b) phthalates, which are widely employed to soften PVC plastics. AOL Autos: Best financing deals of the month Extended research by the Ecology Center covered samples from model years 2000 to 2005 made by 11 manufacturers. Part of the research showed significantly higher levels of PBDEs in those vehicles as compared to those levels in homes and offices that had been measured in previous studies, making in-car pollution a major source of indoor air pollution and health danger. In the resultant table of contamination levels, Hyundai rated lowest and Mercedes highest in PBDEs. Volvo rated lowest and Hyundai highest in phthalates

Ecology Center study shows "new car smell" comes from toxic gases . Effects of gases can linger for years . Toyota, Honda and Ford lead in using "safe" plastics for indoor auto parts . German scientists run alternate tests -- say no evidence of toxic effects .

(AOL Autos) -- Automotive expert Tom Torbjornsen answers a question about how to diagnose an exhaust problem and what to do about it. Dear Tom, Smoke is coming out of the tailpipe of my 2002 Chrysler Sebring with 90,000 miles. Is this a big problem? I have to put a quart of oil a week in the engine. What should I do? -- Sally, New York Sally, Generally, engines burn oil due to a few reasons: bad valve seals, worn valve guides, pressurized crankcase (oil pan) due to a clogged PCV valve or breather system, and blow-by from worn piston rings. Bad valve seals: The valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. Oil is pumped at 40 to 80 PSI (pounds/square inch) of pressure into the top of the head, lubricating the valve-train. The valves have seals to stop the flow of oil down into the engine when the valve is open. If the seals fail then oil is allowed to flow down into the combustion chamber and is burned. Worn valve guides: A small cylindrical chamber called a valve guide does just what its name says ... it guides the valves. These guides wear out over time causing eccentricity (slop). The excess gap that forms allows oil to flow down the valve stem into the combustion chamber to be burned. Normally the valve seal stops this flow. However, in this case the gap is too great for the seal to work. AOL Autos: Should you use synthetic motor oil? Pressurized crankcase due to clogged PCV or breather system: Your car's engine is a giant air pump, consequently it must breathe. The PCV (Positive Crankcase Ventilation) system allows the engine to exhaust the excess pressure buildup (which is a natural phenomenon of the internal combustion engine). Carbon is a by-product of an engine and can build up in the PCV system, clogging the breathing passages. This in turn pressurizes the oil pan and pushes oil up into the fuel delivery system where it is fed into the engine and burned. AOL Autos: Do I need to replace my air filter? Blow-by from worn piston rings: The pistons in your car's engine have seals around them in the form of rings. These rings have two functions: (1) they seal the combustion chamber so that the power developed from the firing of the cylinder is not lost. (2) They provide vital lubrication to the cylinder walls. When the rings wear out, the pressure from combustion reverses down into the oil pan, pressurizing it, and forcing oil into the valve covers. From there it goes through the breather system, back into the fuel delivery system, and into the engine to be burned. I have to put a quart of oil a week in the engine. Is this a big problem? It's hard to say without performing some diagnostics on the engine. A quart of oil a week is excessive. It could be due to a plugged PCV or excessive internal engine wear. Take the car into the shop for engine diagnostics. My guess is that the tech will perform a compression test along with a cylinder leak down test after he/she determines if the PCV system is open. During these tests the tech tries to determine if there is loss of engine compression, blow-by, or excessive oil consumption due to ring wear. If excessive ring wear is discovered then further engine teardown will be necessary to determine if the engine needs to be rebuilt or replaced. AOL Autos: How often should you change your oil What is the difference between blue and white smoke? The engine can emit different colors of smoke: Blue smoke: Blue typically means that engine oil is being burned in the combustion chamber. In rare cases, when a vehicle is equipped with a transmission that uses a device called a vacuum modulator valve (to soften shifts between gears according to engine vacuum) the diaphragm can break inside the valve and cause transmission fluid to be sucked into the engine via the vacuum line feeding the valve and burn. AOL

An oil-thirsty engine and smoke coming from car's tailpipe are signs of trouble . Bad valve seals or worn guides, clogged PCV valve, worn piston rings among causes . White smoke: Water condensation from blown head gasket, too much gas . Blue smoke: Engine oil is being burned in the combustion chamber .

(AOL Autos) -- Big Al, the used car dealer with that small lot down on the corner, may be your mother's cousin, but that doesn't mean you'll get the best used car deal in town from him. He sells all brands of cars, has no visible shop or mechanical staff, and he is the only one that stands behind the quality of his cars ... until the rear tires clear his driveway. The numbers of items inspected on the cars range from 100 to 300. A better used car? If shopping for regular used cars, whether it be at a dealer or private party, just isn't cutting it for you, there may be a better solution -- choosing to buy from a new-car dealer who also operates a Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) used car program. These programs are operated jointly by the manufacturer and the dealer, and practically guarantee the quality, condition, and future long life of the car, truck, crossover, or SUV you're interest in. It's in the dealer's and the manufacturer's best interest to find the best used cars available for these programs, so most of the cars sold through them are clean, undamaged cars coming off of two- or three-year leases or out of rental-car fleet service. Restrictions on which vehicles are allowed in the program, such as age and mileage, vary. Some cars in CPO programs could be as young as six months and have only 6000 miles on them, as in BMW's program, and others could be as much as five years old and have a maximum of 80,000 miles on the odometer, in the case of Volvo. Inspection and warranty Although the content and extent of each brand's certified pre-owned program varies, one of the constants is the complete vehicle inspection offered by every program. Though the number of items -- or points -- inspected on the vehicle varies from 100 to 300, as a consumer you should feel comfortable knowing that everything important on the car was inspected by the dealer, under the guidelines of the manufacturer, and the worn or bad parts were replaced, if necessary, before the vehicle was put into the program. Aside from the inspections, the length and coverage of the certified-vehicle warranty also varies from program to program, and the buyer should make absolutely sure that the original manufacturer is offering the warranty, as opposed to a third-party or extended-warranty company. Depending on a vehicle's age, condition and mileage, it may in fact be cheaper to buy an uncertified used car from a dealer and then purchase a separate extended warranty for the vehicle. The CPO bumper-to-bumper warranties can be a bit complicated, so be sure to do your homework and become familiar with all the ins-and-outs. Some of the warranties start when the car is sold to you, and some warranties start from the date of the original sale or in-service date of the vehicle, but are extended up to six years or 100,000 miles. Certified used car buyers should be sure to read and understand every paragraph of the vehicle and powertrain warranties offered with the vehicle so there are no surprises later. Some warranties also require the buyer to pay a predetermined deductible amount for each repair; some don't (BMW, for instance, charges a flat fee of $50 for any warranty repair). Some CPO warranties are even transferable to the next owner after you, which may be an attraction when it comes time to sell it. In most cases, the original long-term powertrain and corrosion penetration warranty will still apply. You also get perks Beyond the usual vehicle inspection thoroughness and the length of the certified-vehicle warranty, the various manufacturers and dealers offer a large menu of extras on their certified pre-owned vehicles as enticements to a deal. What if you buy a CPO vehicle, load your kids into it, and it stops running halfway to grandma's house? Most programs offer 24/7 roadside assistance for such situations on a CPO vehicle (Hyundai, for instance

Certified pre-owned programs may save you money . Manufacturers and dealers may also toss in perks . Buying a CPO vehicle will cost 2 to 8 percent more .

(AOL Autos) -- Chrysler and General Motors announced this week that they would shrink their dealer base in the U.S. Chrysler will close 789 dealers. General Motors announced the closing of 1,100 dealers. Chrysler will close 789 dealers, leaving them with approximately 2400 stores in the U.S. General Motors announced the closing of 1,100 dealers and hopes to be at a size of 3,600 dealers at the end of 2010. While Chrysler dealers will be "forced out" by June 9, GM is positioning for a smoother closing of its stores, with each shutting down when it runs out of inventory. Unlike Chrysler's announcement, GM's list of closing dealers will not be made public, leaving that decision to each dealer. What happens to my GM or Chrysler vehicle warranty? Your warranty is valid through its term, regardless of where you bought your vehicle. In March, President Obama announced that the U.S. government would provide the backing for Chrysler and GM vehicle warranties under the "Warrantee Commitment Program." Can I take my vehicle for service and warranty work to another (surviving) dealer? Yes, but make sure it's a certified dealer. If you're going to take your Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge vehicle in for warranty work, you can do so at a closing dealership until June 9. After that time, Chrysler will no longer pay those dealers for warranty work. GM vehicles will receive service and warranty work at closing dealers until they shut down. Will there be good deals on these vehicles? The Chrysler dealerships to close will have about 44,000 units on hand, or roughly what Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge sell across the country every 2-3 weeks (using April's sales numbers as a guide). There will be deals, but be warned that if those 44,000 aren't sold before June 9, Chrysler will work to redistribute them to other dealers. Whether the best deals will be had before or after June 9 is likely negligible; if you're interested in a Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge product, you will save a lot of money on a new purchase right now. One important factor to keep in mind is that approximately 10% of those remaining units are 2008 vehicles. Be careful the car you're looking at hasn't been sitting on the lot inactive for too long; cars actually do "rot." GM's dealer announcement is a different story, since the company isn't releasing the names of the closing dealers. Dealers who chose to disclose their shutdown may provide better deals. AOL Autos: Why do cars rot on the lot? How many people and jobs are affected by closing dealers? The impact on communities will be significant. Since dealers typically employ about 50 people and contract with a handful of suppliers (consider the business that sells paper or office furniture to each dealer), there will be impact within the community. Some economists, however, believe that the impact will be less than expected, since dealers typically have a high turnover rate and technician jobs were in a short supply already. But, the related aspects of dealer closings are certain: think of the little league baseball teams and charities that receive funding from do-gooding dealers. Even real estate is affected; car dealerships usually set the market for commercial real estate in smaller communities. When those go empty, the entire city feels the pain. AOL Autos: Pressure to buy American Why were these dealers chosen? Both Chrysler and GM have expressed interest to shrink their dealer base. Company officials cite various data points related to choosing these dealers, but the main one is performance. GM said that the average dealer of the 1,100 affected only sold 35 cars in all of 2008. Chrysler cites similar numbers, with half their closing dealerships selling less than 100. But, even after these reductions by Chrysler and GM, they still have more dealers than other manufacturers. Using April 2009's sales data as a proxy, Toyota has approximately 95 dealers per 1 point of market share in the U.S., while Chrysler has 256 and GM will have 172 (at the end

Chrysler and General Motors announce they will shrink dealer base in U.S. Chrysler dealers will be "forced out" by June 9 . Your warranty is valid through its term, no matter where you bought your car . You will save a lot of money on a new vehicle purchase right now .

(AOL Autos) -- Consumer Reports recently announced its annual used cars ratings, and we weren't surprised to see one of the major categories was "Best in Fuel Economy." With gasoline and oil prices on a seemingly endless upward spiral, that's a key factor these days when choosing a used car -- or even a new one. The cars that made this list were, according to Consumer Reports, "the affordable and reliable vehicles [that] returned some of the best results in our real-world fuel-economy tests." What follows is a list of the vehicles that magazine rated "Best in Fuel Economy" in the under $10,000 price range, with a short description of each vehicle. The mileage figures stated are the ones calculated by Consumer Reports in their own on-the-road tests. 2000 Honda Insight Overall MPG: 51 When the Insight hit showrooms in 1999 for the 2000 model year, it was hailed as one of the cleanest and most fuel-efficient vehicles in the world. It was the first gasoline-electric hybrid to be sold in the U.S., and won several design, engineering and technology awards. The Insight employs Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) system, combining an extremely lightweight 1.0-liter, three-cylinder gasoline automobile engine with an ultra-thin electric motor. Early models came with a 5-speed manual transmission, but a continuously variable transmission (CVT) was offered starting in '01. 2001 - 2002 Toyota Prius Overall MPG: 41 This was one of the earliest generations of the fuel-sipping Prius, and it certainly has become a green living icon since then. Drawing its power from a combination of a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor, these earlier editions generated only 70 hp, but muscle isn't the point in a hybrid car. It's pod-like design had a certain retro-futuristic appeal, and was roomier than one might think. 2000 - 2005 Toyota Echo Overall MPG: 38 The Echo was rolled out in 2000 as a no-frills compact econo-box, for those who wanted Toyota quality but were on a budget that precluded them from snagging a Corolla. The interior is plain, but the engine is reliable and efficient, and the taut suspension delivers a ride comparable to larger models. This version of the Echo comes with a 1.5-liter four-cylinder 108-hp 16-Valve EFI engine. 1998 - 2002 Chevrolet Prizm Overall MPG: 32 The Prizm of this era bore some resemblance to the Corolla, since both were built on the same assembly line in a joint GM/Toyota plant. A front-wheel-drive subcompact sedan, the Prizm was initially rolled out under the Geo nameplate, but later became a Chevy model. Available as a base model and LSi, the Prizm is powered by single twin-cam four-cylinder engines that produced 120 hp in 1998 and 1999, but the addition of VVT in 2000 boosted the ponies to 125. 1998 Mazda Protégé LX Overall MPG: 32 Mazda redesigned the Protégé in 1995, upgrading it considerably with a more rigid chassis and much-improved ride quality -- not to mention increased interior space. This edition also offers a silkier ride, crisp handling and solid performance for a small car. This model year has a 92-hp 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine, and comes in three trim levels. 1998 - 2000 Toyota Corolla CE/LE Overall MPG: 32/31 The Corolla has been a stalwart for more than 40 years, for its quality, dependability and, maybe most importantly, for its fuel economy. The 1998-1999 editions are powered by a 1.8 L, 120-hp, four-cylinder 16-Valve EFI, with aluminum alloy block and head. By 2000, they'd tweaked the engine to deliver 125 ponies. A front-wheel drive job, the Corollas of this period come in three trim levels, but Consumer Reports chose the midline CE and top-end LE. 1998 - 2001 Acura Integra LS Overall MPG: 32 The Acura Integra sport coupe and sport sedan

The 2000 Honda Insight was the first gasoline-electric hybrid sold in the U.S. The Chevy Prizm was initially rolled out under the Geo nameplate . 2001-2002 Prius has become a green living icon . The 1998 - 2000 Corolla has been a stalwart for more than 40 years .

(AOL Autos) -- Do you live in one of the nation's worst cities for road rage? If you live in a major metropolitan area on either coast, chances are you do. If you live in the Midwest or northwest, odds are that you don't. Miami ranks as the worst city for most aggressive drivers for the second straight year in a nationwide study of driver habits followed by New York, Boston, Los Angeles and Washington. But if road rage is a "cultural phenomenon" as one of our experts suggests, how best do we go about combating driver frustration across the nation? Traffic black spots The nation's roads are peppered with traffic black spots, junctions where car snarls elicit road rage in even the most mild-mannered drivers. Southern California has the San Diego (I-405) Freeway, and the nation's busiest junction, where U.S. 101 meets it to the north of Los Angeles. Miami and the East Coast have I-95, which snakes from the world's busiest cruise port up to Maine. The District of Columbia and the Beltway are infamous for gridlock. I've spent three very nervous hours getting to Chicago's O'Hare Airport from the city center (before missing my flight). Traffic by definition is worst in major metropolitan areas -- if your farming community is gridlocked, you'd better be grousing at your local council meetings -- but it is the increase in traffic that leads many to suggest it's just going to get worse. Traffic levels are rising seemingly as fast as home foreclosures in Los Angeles and Miami. In these areas, it's not only the rise in number of drivers, but the rising age of drivers. AAA points out that seniors are the fastest growing demographic in the U.S. That suggests drivers should adjust their habits accordingly. AAA has launched its Lifelong Safe Mobility campaign to help seniors adjust to more crowded roads and perhaps more aggressive drivers. The facts and remedy When the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety studied more than 10,000 incidents of road rage and violent aggressive driving committed in the 1990s, it found that at least 218 people were killed and another 12,610 injured when drivers got angry. Many of these aggressors are males aged 18 to 26. The AAA Web site offers a three-step plan to avoid becoming the victim of aggressive driving: • The first tip is "don't offend," which includes cutting off other drivers, driving slowly in the left lane, tailgating and gesturing to other drivers. • The agency then warns to "not engage," which advises steering clear of trouble, not making eye contact and getting help, by calling 911, in the event of experiencing dangerous, aggressive driving. It then asks at-risk drivers to "adjust their attitude," which involves "forgetting winning" (for the drivers to whom driving is a Darwinian survival of the fittest), or putting themselves in the other drivers' shoes. • Finally, they recommend that, if you think you have a road rage problem, seek professional help. Other people's actions So the wife and I were looking for sofas. It was a Sunday morning and, with me behind the wheel, we were dawdling around quiet streets trying to find one of those seemingly ubiquitous furniture warehouses. Soon, the wife pointed one out but we were almost past it. I hit the brakes and quickly pulled in, then realized that a Mercedes M-Class had pulled in right behind me. A large, squat tattooed guy jumped out and started shouting, about 10 feet from my car. "I have children in the car, I had to slam on the brakes, [how dare] you brake so quickly," he said, getting real mean. I appreciated I'd probably braked quickly and that it was bad driving on my part. However, as his tirade continued, I very calmly asked why he was setting such a bad example for his young children by following another driver off the road, then shouting and swearing. The man continued his harangue before climbing back into his vehicle and driving away. The next

Traffic snarls blamed for causing much of road rage . Road rage worse in big cities on East, West coasts . AAA: Don't engage the angry driver, dial 911 for help . Professor: Back seat is "road rage nursery"

(AOL Autos) -- Ever wonder what goes into the making of that round, black, rubber thing that holds air, we refer to as a tire? To the casual observer all tires look the same, but there's a lot more to it than meets the eye ... There are many different tire designs and they may contain up to 200 raw materials. Modern tire construction has allowed for a degree of handling, ride comfort, traction, extended treadwear and fuel economy that far exceeds the tires of just a few years ago. Today there are tire designs that contain up to 200 raw materials, as well as complex architecture of steel belts, textile piles and computer designed tread patterns, which deliver maximum traction under all conditions. Each component of a tire is designed to perform its own function and to work together with the rest of the components. For instance, the belt system's job is to provide stability to the tread area, keep the tread grooves open, and work as a unit with the sidewalls to provide stability in cornering and handling. Kind of reminds me of the old song, "The toe bone's connected to the foot bone" well ... you get the picture, right? The major component in tires is rubber. How did this substance find its way into the American automobile tire? As with most inventions, this is a fascinating story. Rubber by itself is a gooey substance that is extremely sensitive to temperature. Back in the early 1830's "rubber fever" was the craze, and it ended as quickly as it started. At first, everybody wanted things made of this new waterproof gum from Brazil, and factories sprung up to meet the demand. Then abruptly, the public became fed up with the messy stuff that froze bone-hard in winter and turned glue-like in summer. Not one of the young rubber companies survived as long as five years. Investors lost millions and everyone agreed that rubber had seen its hay-day in America. AOL Autos: Best car deals of the month Then Charles Goodyear stepped up to the plate. Through extensive experimentation and persistence, Goodyear found that rubber could be stabilized and formed into a useful compound by adding sulfur and applying heat. He found that steam under pressure, applied to the compound for 4 to 6 hours at about 270 degrees Fahrenheit, gave him the most uniform results. This was the beginning of rubber compounds! AOL Autos: Most popular sedans Rubber compounding is like mixing a cake. Different ingredients are mixed together at different degrees to produce rubber with specific characteristics. Some rubber compounds are stickier for better traction when racing. Some compounds are much harder for heavy-duty work in construction or with heavy equipment. All-season rubber for all-season tires is rubber that doesn't freeze below thirty-two degrees, allowing for movement of the tread in the cold weather so it will grip and give maximum traction in all weather. AOL Autos: Best-selling hybrid cars Ever wonder how a steel belted radial tire is constructed? Check this out. 1. First comes the construction of the casing. This is the body (or carcass) of the tire ... the "foundation" upon which everything is built. The casing is made up of a series of cords (most typically polyester) which are combined to form layers or piles. These layers are connected to two circular strands of steel called beads. Then the inner liner is added, serving as the air seal. Once the casing is formed, everything else is added to make up the tire. AOL Autos: Consumer reports picks best used luxury cars 2. Next comes the steel belt. This is a belt made up of woven steel strands that cover the casing of the tire and is located directly under the tread. The steel belt adds strength and durability, aids in keeping the tread grooves open for maximum traction, and protects the casing against impacts and punctures. On high performance tires an extra belt is usually added for strength; this is a nylon overlay that is wrapped around the whole steel belt package. As the tire rolls

Writer credits Charles Goodyear for developing rubber compounds . Tires may be constructed from 200 raw materials . Tire casings are made up of a series of cords, which form layers . Tread designs are first tested for traction in "virtual reality"

(AOL Autos) -- Have you ever heard of someone having their car "totaled"? While the word might conjure images of a massive car accident, replete with broken glass and the Jaws of Life, the reality is sometimes far removed. Ford's repair and safety engineers first began collaborating on the 2009 F-150 pick-up truck. In fact, there are many accidents that produce structural damage such that the vehicle's frame is bent, even though the exterior of the car might even look drivable. Typically these cars are "totaled," which might give buyers the peace of mind knowing they will get a replacement vehicle. But, overall this produces much higher insurance rates for all drivers. Car companies and insurers are working hard to try and reduce the cost of auto repairs and insurance premiums for consumers and some of the development is breathtaking in its innovation This effort has already led to many new developments in the design of various auto parts and components -- which have indeed led to a reduction in repair costs for various auto parts, components and structures. And more advances are on the way: some carmakers have recently ramped up their operations in this area, which should result in greater cost savings in coming years. One recent development in this area is the Ford Motor Company's new $650,000 Paint and Body Technology Center in Inkster, Michigan, about 20 minutes from the company's Dearborn world headquarters. The new center was created by merging operations with the company's Safety Crash Test Analysis department. Other car companies have their own versions of this kind of operation, including Ford's crosstown rivals, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC. The new Ford center represents an advancement over its previous paint and body tech operation in that it's larger, closer to the company's HQ, and now works more closely with design engineers and auto insurers -- and gets insurers involved earlier in the design process. AOL Autos: Cut your insurance in half The goal is to identify potential repair issues and then use that info to refine designs -- which in turn helps cut the cost of repairs at dealerships and independent repair shops. Plus, this effort allows repair techs to more effectively restore the vehicles to their pre-accident condition. To that end, engineers gather data earlier in the vehicle development process so it can be then analyzed during crash and durability testing. AOL Autos: How to choose a repair shop For Ford, the closer integration of these functions began when the carmaker's repair and safety engineers first began collaborating on the 2009 F-150 pick-up truck. During the vehicle's early development period, these engineers realized that new materials -- including ultra-high-strength steel and boron -- helped make the new truck safer, but also could make it more expensive to repair after a collision. AOL Autos: Minor damages, major repair costs "The extensive use of advanced technologies and materials in the 2009 F-150 required us to develop new, specific procedures and repair recommendations," said Gerry Bonanni, Ford's collision repair senior engineer. So, Ford engineers designed and developed new front and rear-frame-section kits -- which means one single section of the frame can now be repaired / replaced after a crash, instead of having to replace the entire frame. "Partial-frame repairs cost at least $2,000 less than full-frame replacements," says Bonanni -- and will prevent some vehicles from being "totaled," which would have previously been the case under repair laws in some states. The success of the collaboration on the F-150 prompted the decision to open the new paint and body tech center. A more recent example was the work done on the 2010 Mustang. "Previously, we had no real procedure for sectioning off the rear-frame rails," says Bonanni. "But, by collaborating with repair technicians and the insurance companies, we developed a procedure, which we then documented for the repair techs in our dealers. "That allows them to repair just a short section of the rear-frame rails, instead of replacing the entire frame-rail system

Companies and insurers sections cars to be crash (and repair) friendly . Many new developments exist in the design of auto parts and components . New materials -- including ultra-high-strength steel -- help make vehicles safer . New challenges continue to present themselves, says Ford expert .

(AOL Autos) -- Have you ever heard of someone having their car "totaled"? While the word might conjure images of a massive car accident, replete with broken glass and the Jaws of Life, the reality is sometimes far removed. Ford's repair and safety engineers first began collaborating on the 2009 F-150 pick-up truck. In fact, there are many accidents that produce structural damage such that the vehicle's frame is bent, even though the exterior of the car might even look drivable. Typically these cars are "totaled," which might give buyers the peace of mind knowing they will get a replacement vehicle. But, overall this produces much higher insurance rates for all drivers. Car companies and insurers are working hard to try and reduce the cost of auto repairs and insurance premiums for consumers and some of the development is breathtaking in its innovation This effort has already led to many new developments in the design of various auto parts and components -- which have indeed led to a reduction in repair costs for various auto parts, components and structures. And more advances are on the way: some carmakers have recently ramped up their operations in this area, which should result in greater cost savings in coming years. One recent development in this area is the Ford Motor Company's new $650,000 Paint and Body Technology Center in Inkster, Michigan, about 20 minutes from the company's Dearborn world headquarters. The new center was created by merging operations with the company's Safety Crash Test Analysis department. Other car companies have their own versions of this kind of operation, including Ford's crosstown rivals, General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC. The new Ford center represents an advancement over its previous paint and body tech operation in that it's larger, closer to the company's HQ, and now works more closely with design engineers and auto insurers -- and gets insurers involved earlier in the design process. AOL Autos: Cut your insurance in half The goal is to identify potential repair issues and then use that info to refine designs -- which in turn helps cut the cost of repairs at dealerships and independent repair shops. Plus, this effort allows repair techs to more effectively restore the vehicles to their pre-accident condition. To that end, engineers gather data earlier in the vehicle development process so it can be then analyzed during crash and durability testing. AOL Autos: How to choose a repair shop For Ford, the closer integration of these functions began when the carmaker's repair and safety engineers first began collaborating on the 2009 F-150 pick-up truck. During the vehicle's early development period, these engineers realized that new materials -- including ultra-high-strength steel and boron -- helped make the new truck safer, but also could make it more expensive to repair after a collision. AOL Autos: Minor damages, major repair costs "The extensive use of advanced technologies and materials in the 2009 F-150 required us to develop new, specific procedures and repair recommendations," said Gerry Bonanni, Ford's collision repair senior engineer. So, Ford engineers designed and developed new front and rear-frame-section kits -- which means one single section of the frame can now be repaired / replaced after a crash, instead of having to replace the entire frame. "Partial-frame repairs cost at least $2,000 less than full-frame replacements," says Bonanni -- and will prevent some vehicles from being "totaled," which would have previously been the case under repair laws in some states. The success of the collaboration on the F-150 prompted the decision to open the new paint and body tech center. A more recent example was the work done on the 2010 Mustang. "Previously, we had no real procedure for sectioning off the rear-frame rails," says Bonanni. "But, by collaborating with repair technicians and the insurance companies, we developed a procedure, which we then documented for the repair techs in our dealers. "That allows them to repair just a short section of the rear-frame rails, instead of replacing the entire frame-rail system

Companies and insurers sections cars to be crash (and repair) friendly . Many new developments exist in the design of auto parts and components . New materials -- including ultra-high-strength steel -- help make vehicles safer . New challenges continue to present themselves, says Ford expert .

(AOL Autos) -- How long did it take you to get a taxi last time you tried? If it was longer than 20 minutes, then chances are you live in the sticks or were calling on a busy Friday or Saturday night. Catching a cab can be easy, whether you're in a big city or a crowded sporting event. But seemingly everyone has had difficulty calling or hailing a cab at some stage, on vacation or a business trip or when stranded in a city center after a night out. So what's the best, and quickest, way to get hold of a cab in New York? Or Los Angeles, California? Or at a major sporting event? We find out. Beware the bandit Basil Enerieze, a taxi driver in Los Angeles, says in general a passenger's situation dictates the quickest way to get a cab. In downtown LA or in a commercial or tourist area, hailing a cab works best, he says, but calling one is the quickest way in suburban areas. Cabbies, he says, prefer fares that are called from a home or business as it gives the taxi company some information about the customer - their phone number, name and residence - in case the fare turns into trouble. Does this mean that taxis are more likely to respond to a call than being hailed? "If they're there and need a ride I stop my cab," Enerieze says. "The biggest problem we face is bandit cabs. Never take a bandit cab," he says. Enerieze says he's seen unlicensed operators in LA since he got his license 15 years ago, and that while they might in some cases be quicker or more available; the risks of hailing one are too great to justify. He says that licensed cabs will be clearly marked with a city insignia, and tells the tale of when he went to the theater in downtown Los Angeles and saw the long lines for a cab and decided, against his better judgment, to hail one of the many unlicensed cabs outside. On the 10-or-so mile drive to his home, he noticed the meter was running too fast. "I said, 'I am a cab driver. I know that your meter is running too fast.' He [the driver] said: 'That's the way it is." And I paid the fare. [But because] it was an illegitimate taxi, I could not phone anyone to complain."AOL Autos: Cheapest family sedans Bad apples in the big apple Matthew Daus, the chairman of the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission, concurs, telling AOL: "I think the number one, most important thing for anyone seeking taxicab or taxicab-like spontaneous service in New York City to understand is that only yellow, medallion taxicabs are legally empowered to solicit or accept street hails from the public. The driver of any other kind of vehicle that is soliciting passengers or responding to your taxi hail is already doing something illegal." AOL Autos: Cheapest luxury cars He says that in adverse weather conditions or during peak demand hours, customers can be tempted to hop into something that looks like a legitimate limo or black car, but he, too, warns of the risks. "TLC-licensed drivers are drug-tested and have had a criminal background check, and TLC licensed vehicles are inspected three times annually and carry insurance levels well in excess of the state's minimum requirements." AOL Autos: Best car deals this month "Taxicabs go where the people are. If you are hailing from the street, hail in the direction you are traveling to save turn-around time for both you and your driver. If you have the time to plan ahead, a call or Web site visit to a local livery service, black car or limousine service can quickly and conveniently arrange guaranteed door-to-door pick-up and drop-off. Look for the TLC diamond sticker inside the right-hand side of the windshield."AOL Autos: Best looking 2009 cars Use your iPhone Taxi Magic is the latest innovative application

A passenger's situation dictates the quickest way to get a cab . Taxi Magic, an iPhone app, can help you catch a cab easily . Taxis drive past you at night because they can't see you . Leave sporting events before the end of the game to get a cab quicker .

(AOL Autos) -- If you don't eat, sleep and breathe cars, or devour car magazines in minute detail, there's a good chance you don't know all the technological terms that pop up in the media, new car advertising and literature. With new models being released all the time, the acronyms can be overwhelming. With every new model year, it seems, there are new technology and acronyms. Here's a concise list of the terms you're most likely to see and read about in the 2008 literature. ABS: The most common passive safety system found on cars today is ABS or anti-lock brake system. ABS continuously counts wheel revolutions electronically and when one or more wheels stops moving during a skid, the system quickly applies and releases the brakes on the skidding wheels. This is done so that the tires continue to rotate and the car can be steered around an object or an impending accident situation. Tires that are skidding can't do much steering. ALS: This is a relatively new term that stands for active lighting system or automatic lighting system. On some luxury vehicles, you can opt for headlamps that turn left or right (up to about 15 degrees) as the front tires turn to light the road as you make your turns. AWD (also FWD, RWD, 2WD, 4WD): These terms refer to how many and which wheels on your car deliver power from the engine to the road surface. AWD means all-wheel drive and generally means there are no buttons, levers or lower gear ranges. These systems can be full-time, driving all four wheels all the time, or part-time, controlled by computers when conditions dictate the need for more traction. The 4WD label means four-wheel drive and these part-time systems usually have a selector switch or lever to select two-wheel drive, four-wheel drive or even four-wheel drive in a lower gear or locked position for very difficult driving situations. In 2WD, only the two front or rear tires have power. Traditional RWD or rear-wheel drive is almost always found on luxury cars, sports cars, or racing cars. FWD or front-wheel drive is more compact and is more often found on small cars, minivans and crossover vehicles. DOHC: Engineering shorthand for double-overhead camshaft. A DOHC engine has one camshaft that opens the intake valves and one camshaft that opens the exhaust valves, a design derived from racing engines. DOHC engines are more complex than single-overhead-cam engines (SOHC) and overhead-valve engines (OHV) but generally make more power and torque at higher rpm levels because they let the engine breathe better. EBD: An acronym given to the ABS subsystem called electronic brake force distribution. EBD is rapidly becoming standard equipment on cars that already have ABS brakes. In a panic braking situation, EBD distributes the most braking force to the tires that have the most traction. This helps to keep the car from spinning and reduces stopping distances on slippery surfaces. ESC/ESP: Electronic stability control or electronic stability program are interchangeable terms for the same software and hardware. An extension of ABS, ESC uses sensors and computers to determine whether a vehicle is oversteering (rear wheels out) or understeering (front wheels not turning in the desired direction). ESC/ESP reduces engine power and/or applies one of the front or rear brakes to get the vehicle back into its intended path of travel. As a means of protecting against rollover accidents, ESC will be required on all new light vehicles sold in America by September 2011. GPS: All automotive navigation systems communicate with Global Positioning System or GPS satellites. GPS satellites were launched into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense but are now used by motorists, hikers and explorers all over the world. GPS systems are accurate anywhere in the world from 10 to 50 feet. Combined with a CD or DVD map in the vehicle's navigation system, the satellites can track latitude, longitude, altitude and direction of travel in all weather conditions. I6

Most common car safety system is ABS or anti-lock brake system . EBD: subsystem of anti-lock brakes called electronic brake force distribution . GPS is system that drives new navigation systems: Global positions system . RSC: roll stability control, new government regulation to prevent rollovers .

(AOL Autos) -- It had never been done before, but as Monte Perlin gunned the engine of his Harley motorbike and prepared to land it in an open boxcar of a moving train, he was strangely calm. Stuntman Monte Perlin putting his motorcycle through its paces. Rather than fret for his own life, he was thinking about the responsibility he had for the life of the woman sitting on the saddle behind him. He laughs to tell the story now, but his moving-train stunt for Disney's 2008 Adam Sandler vehicle "Bedtime Stories" was perhaps the most dangerous Perlin's attempted in his 25 years in Hollywood. His career has involved many films, including "Spider-Man," "Star Trek, "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and portraying Arnold Schwarzenegger's stunt double in "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines." That's right: Monte Perlin is a stunt man. In fact, he said that after completing that train stunt, which involved probably more math than we'd care to compute (consider a man jumping 70 feet on a motorbike at 60 mph from a ramp into an open car of a train traveling at 45 mph, all with a woman on the seat next to him...sounds a bit like a SAT question, doesn't it?) the footage showed he missed. In actuality, he came too close -- or about 6 inches -- to one of the boxcar's doors. So, he had to do it again. "I have to time it with a girl on my back," Perlin said. "Too short, I'm dead. Too late, I'm dead. Too high, fast or powerful, I take my head off. It had to be perfect. While he didn't sleep for two nights before the stunt, he says a strange type of calm precedes any of his attempts at a difficult trick. Then, just before launch, he says, as he revs the engine of whichever "boss hog" he's riding that day, his adrenaline kicks into gear. "I get that feeling, that I could wrestle 10 gorillas, I could jump 10 trains, and boom! I go for it." Perlin completed the stunt, this time "hitting" it almost exactly through the middle of the box-car's open gate and the movie's production team wrapped the scene. "I did it again and just hit it perfect," he said. "I hit the impossible stunt." It didn't start this way Perlin grew up in Lake Arrowhead, not far from Hollywood, where from the age of 10 he ripped around the largely rural area on motocross bikes before he graduated onto some seriously heavy machinery -- including his own super-modified Harley Davidson that packs a 350 Chevy car engine. That gave him a perfect start in his chosen career of motorcycle stunt riding. AOL Autos: Fastest coupes under $30k He got into Hollywood by ditching the small-town naysayers who didn't believe in him, he says, and traveling to Los Angeles. After a couple misfires, he looked into a stunt school he found in a Hollywood trade publication and he found his calling. AOL Autos: Top 10 best car commercials Perhaps more importantly, Perlin met his wife, also a stuntwoman. "(She) changed my life and stopped my drinking," he said. "I told her, 'If we're gonna get married, I gotta have a career.'" In addition to traveling to Africa, Israel, Russia, and all over the world, the couple raised four kids on a 10-acre ranch about 25 miles north of Hollywood in Lancaster. Perlin hasn't touched a drop of alcohol in nearly 25 years. He says he often takes his grandkids for "wheelies" around his neighborhood. As it turns out, stuntin' runs in the family: His 17-year-old daughter is a champion horse show-jumper and is gunning for an Olympic place, but is already a professional stuntwoman

Stuntman Monte Perlin has broken "almost everything" in his 25-year career . His films include "Spider-Man," "Star Trek, "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" One motorbike stunt involved jumping 70 feet at 60 mph into open car of moving train . Remotely controlled, burning ambulance flipped and barely missed him .

(AOL Autos) -- It's that time again, when you turn on the A/C to chill out from the summer heat and all you get is hot air! Air conditioning on the fritz? Taking your car to an A/C tech will keep you from getting hot headed. Ughhhh! How do you restore that refreshing, cool air to your vehicle's interior cabin so you can survive the heat? Well ... sit back and relax, and I'll tell you exactly what to expect from your shop. System performance test First, the tech should perform an A/C system performance test. He/she will first check vent temperature to confirm that the system is indeed inoperative. Should this be the case, the tech will then perform a head pressure check. During this process, gauges are installed on the high and low side of the system to determine if there's any refrigerant in the system. An extremely low (or no) pressure reading usually indicates a lack of refrigerant in the system, which means it has leaked out. Sometimes the pressure reading may be too high, in which case there is a restriction in the system, inhibiting the flow of refrigerant. There are three diagnostic paths, depending on the initial evaluations. Should the system be low on refrigerant, the tech should run a leak test, identify the location of the leak, repair it, and recharge the system with refrigerant and oil. If the pressure in the system is too high, the tech should locate the restriction, often caused by dirt that finds its way to the orifice tube, a small in-line filter designed to screen out any particulates in the system. (Restrictions can occur for other reasons that I will not go into here for the sake of space.) Once the plug is found, it is removed, and dirt is flushed from the system. Finally, if the system seems to be operating properly (all head pressures are in line with factory specifications), then the tech will look to the duct system for problems. The duct system The engine in your car generates vacuum as a result of taking in air. This vacuum is used for the duct system. How the system works: Vacuum is collected in a vacuum reserve chamber; this device usually resembles a plastic ball or a coffee can. The vacuum builds up inside this chamber and when A/C is called for, vacuum is channeled through the switch and small vacuum lines (capillary tubing) to the servo motor. The servo motor is responsible for opening a special duct door (the air blend door), which directs the correct amount of cool air into the vehicle's cabin. Problems crop up when vacuum is lost due to a cracked vacuum reserve chamber, broken vacuum line, faulty vacuum servomotor, bad switch, or poor engine vacuum. The tech must track down the cause of the vacuum loss and repair it in order to restore the system. Other causes of poor HVAC air volume are broken air blend door or door hinge, organic debris in the fan squirrel cage inhibiting airflow, worn blower motor shaft bearings slowing down the squirrel cage, or electrical wiring / component problems that control fan operation. Proper A/C leak test procedure The main cause of A/C system failure is refrigerant leak. This system is a closed system, so the refrigerant chemical and lubricant are sealed from the outside atmosphere. When a leak forms, the system drains of both refrigerant chemical and the lubricant vital to compressor life and function. In addition, moisture and dirt can get in through the leak causing contamination. This contamination eats away at the inside of the system resulting in rust and scale buildup, corrosion and erosion in vital A/C system parts. Proper A/C system leak tests are necessary to identify the source of a leak. There are three types of leak inspections: visual, halogen, and dye testing. The visual test includes inspection of all lines and external components (specifically condensers, hi and low pressure lines, compressors, air dryers, and

Problems with your A/C/ system can cost you money by wasting extra gas . Tech should first do a car A/C system performance test . Problems with vacuum system can also limit cooling in car .

(AOL Autos) -- Letting someone else deal with the day to day expenses of maintaining an automobile (and just paying for what you use) seems to be a novel idea. Joining a "car share," such as the popular Zipcar car sharing service, is gaining in popularity as consumers look to other ways to save money. Car-sharing services let you avoid paying for gas and insurance, but there are fees and rules. By using a car share, you're not only shedding monthly car payments, taxes, insurance and upkeep, but you can let someone else worry about whether the old rattle trap will make it another year. You simply pay a fee and drive the car when you need it. By maximizing the utilization of a single automobile among many users, car sharing services claim they are helping to reduce pollution, too. Every single Zipcar removes about 15 personal cars from the road, the company says. Unclogging traffic and dialing back the amount of single-occupant vehicles burning fuel has a greening effect. Reducing expenses and saving the polar ice caps aren't the only reasons; there's as much justification for joining a car share as you can dream up, from impressing the client at a business meeting with a fancy car to going over the river and through the woods for family gatherings, all without actually owning a car (or paying for its gas or insurance). But is a car share for you? The concept seems best suited to metro areas, where car insurance rates and parking costs can be high. On the other hand, if you work out of your car, use it on a daily basis or live in a more rural or expansive suburban region, you might be better off keeping your current car. AOL Autos: Top 11 distracting things people do in their cars "The ideal candidates for car sharing are consumers and businesses in cities where owning a car is costly, where there is good public transit, and where most amenities are within walking distance," Zipcar President and COO Mark Norman said. "In other words, where you don't really need to own a car. In addition, students are ideal car sharing members, given the high cost of ownership as well as the increasing limits on parking on campus." AOL Autos: Cheapest cars to own Automobiles can be a huge hassle and expense if you only drive occasionally, so we've set out to look at what car sharing involves. AOL Autos: Pay as you drive insurance How does it work? The biggest North American car share, Zipcar, aims to be convenient, easy, and technologically savvy. Far more streamlined than an old-school rental car, Zipcar makes getting the use of an automobile about as easy as making a withdrawal from an ATM. The concept of car sharing had its genesis in Europe and has spread to the North American market as interest in frugality and environmental consciousness has increased. AOL Autos: Twenty cars of the future The first step to using Zipcar is signing up. As a member, you'll get a "Zipcard," which allows you to reserve a vehicle near you via the company's Web site or from a new iPhone application. Once you've reserved a car (or truck -- the beauty of car sharing services is that you can get a big car when you need it, not when you don't), a pretty neat technology unlocks the doors when you walk near your vehicle (we won't bore you with the details, but if you're wondering, it's called radio frequency identification). When it senses the card on you, the doors unlock, at which point, you're on your way. Cars are located all over metro areas (Zipcar gives you a map to the location of the car you've booked). While application approval is usually quick, it takes a few days to get the Zipcard mailed to you. If your city has a Zipcard office, you can pick up your card there. Where can you find car sharing? Car shares are springing up across

It is possible to drive a car when you want without owning it . Many big cities, some colleges have companies offering car-share services . Zipcar has U.S. fleet of 6,500 automobiles that service 300,000-plus users . You pay membership fee, monthly fee -- but don't pay for gas or insurance .

(AOL Autos) -- Magazines are full of beauty and health secrets with tips on how to improve your inner health and polish and paint your external persona. All of this designed to keep you feeling young. With its low price, boxy-yet-stylish shape and must-have technology, the Scion xB is very youthful. We think that the beauty magazines are missing out on the best way to feel young: drive the right vehicle! New cars for a fresh start No offense to the Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Chevy Malibu, but it's almost impossible to feel young behind the wheel of an ordinary sedan, especially when every other car on the road is just like yours. We've picked vehicles that are unique, different and even a little quirky. You are what you drive, and when you drive a spunky, youthful vehicle, that's exactly what you are! So, here are our choices for the top 10 vehicles to keep you feeling young: 2008 smart fortwo pure coupe Not since the original Volkswagen Beetle has a more perfectly youthful car been built than the smart fortwo pure coupe. This smart car has everything: it's cheap, it's fuel efficient, it's safe (check out the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ratings), and best of all -- it is the cutest thing on four wheels. 'Nuff said. Starting at $11,590 2009 Nissan Versa An excellent choice for a safe, efficient car, the Nissan Versa is no stripped-down econobox and it has a European style that makes others take a second look. It's a genuinely comfortable, fun-to-drive cute car that will stand up to the rough treatment a young-at-heart driver can sometimes dish out. Starting at $12,990 2009 Honda Civic Hybrid Driving a Toyota Prius is a statement to your friends and neighbors that you're green; driving a Honda Civic Hybrid is living green, pure and simple. There's almost nothing less attractive than conspicuity. Give your inner beauty the opportunity to be green undercover in a subtle, stealthy Civic Hybrid. Starting at $23,550 2008 Subaru WRX STi Nothing gets the heart beating like 305 hp. Add all-wheel drive and hatchback functionality and you have the Subaru WRX STi. Skip those troublesome, time-consuming trips to the gym and just give yourself a workout flogging the STi around the back roads, or throw some golf clubs in the back hatch and make your tee time in youthful style. Starting at $34,995 2010 Chevrolet Camaro This one will take you back to your youth, the last heyday of the American Muscle Car. The 2010 Camaro is one of the most anticipated new cars due in the production pipeline, and anyone who drives one will be the center of attention. And that will make you feel young and beautiful. Prices to be announced 2008 Mazda5 When a minivan just isn't mini enough, maybe the mini-minivan is the answer to your needs. With seating for 6, Mazda5 brings the capacity for carpooling without the style penalties of its larger minivan competitors, and fuel economy up to 28 mpg doesn't hurt either. Feel young without looking like a soccer mom. Starting at $18,665 2008 Scion xB With its low, low price, boxy-yet-stylish shape and must-have technology, the Scion xB makes a youthful statement just by showing up. Personalize your xB with accessories from Scion's catalog, or from the extensive aftermarket that has grown up around the car. The bonus is that the xB is a very capable vehicle, and a lot of fun to drive. Starting at $16,420 2008 Toyota 4Runner If you want to project an image of youthful vigor, muscularity, agility and strength -- without going over the top -- few vehicles do it as well as the Toyota 4Runner. That image isn't just on the surface; the Toyota 4Runner is as comfortable on the trail as it is on the pavement. You get timeless good looks and reliability in one package. Starting

Some people say you are what you drive -- so drive something spunky! Driving a Honda Civic Hybrid is living green, pure and simple . Toyota 4Runner projects youthful vigor, muscularity, agility and strength . Jeep Wrangler has been symbol of freedom, agility and capability for decades .

(AOL Autos) -- Okay, you've decided what model of car you want to buy. And you know, more or less, how much you want to spend -- or how much you can afford. You've kicked tires, talked to salesmen, taken a few shiny new numbers for a test-drive and you're ready to make the deal. If you eat in your car you may want to consider fabric or leather protections. Except, you're not quite done. You still need to decide whether to buy any of those "extras" that your salesperson will always suggest. Some of these extras have real value and are probably worth adding. Others ... maybe not so much. The list of "extras" offered by most dealers, may include paint sealant, fabric protection/leather care, extended warranties, extended 'one price' service contracts, rust/underbody coatings and anti-theft systems, to mention a few. We wanted to know which of these new car extras were worth it and which ones a consumer can do without. To get to the bottom of it, we thought we would consult an expert -- David Bennett, Manager of Automotive Programs for AAA. As it turns out, like most things in life, the answer often just comes down to what's best for you, depending on your own situation, budget or locale. Let's address these add-ons one by one: Paint sealant "I think that most paint jobs on cars are pretty good these days, so in most cases you probably don't need that anymore," said Bennett, who offered one caveat. "But that can depend on what part of the country you live in -- what the climate is, whether you get a lot of snow and ice, and what the road crews put down on the road -- whether it is salt, or if it is something that is less harmful to the paint. But generally, as long as you keep your car washed, and wash that salt off of it, and get it waxed regularly, that paint should last without getting the 'add-on' sealer at the dealership. Also, if you get a chip or a ding, get it fixed so the rust doesn't get a chance to set in and spread." Fabric / leather protection These extras are fairly self-explanatory -- the dealer "treats" the upholstered or leather seating with a "protection" product that make the seats more resistant to stains or scuff marks. "This can be a good purchase, but the first question you should ask before buying it is, 'What kind of lifestyle do I lead?' suggests Bennett. "Do you have a lot of kids and are they prone to spill things? Or is your vehicle mostly going to be occupied by adults?" Do you eat in the car with some regularity? If so, and you're just too darn messy for your own good, a stain protection might be a good way to go. "Also, look at exclusions in the plan," advises Bennett. "If you're a smoker, and the plan excludes burn holes from cigarette ashes, and you're not diligent about making sure your ash is always short, that might not be a good purchase because of that exclusion. Each of these policies or plans is probably offering something different, and you need to read all of the exclusions before making that purchase, because it might not be a good one for you." If you want to save some cash, one option would be to forego the protectant and just make sure you clean your seats regularly with a good upholstery cleaner or leather cleaner. To remove spots from a leather seat, use a good leather cleaner and work it into the spot with a soft cloth. If the spot still remains, let it sit for a few hours. Repeat, as they say, if necessary. It's also a good idea , to use a leather conditioner regularly on leather seats to restore moisture and to maintain its appearance. Rustproofing

GM owners won't need LoJack because cars come with OnStar option . Smokers considering fabric protection should check for policy exclusions . But generally, as long as you keep your car washed you don't need sealant . Some warranties offer transferable policies that let you "sell" it with car .

(AOL Autos) -- Old cars don't die, they just get resold. Check out a vehicle history report to make sure your new used car won't blow smoke down the highway. If you're buying a used car, whether from a dealer or someone who put an ad in the paper, you'll want to know as much about it as you can. Even without anyone trying to deceive you, the vehicle may have problems you can't see from a simple visual inspection or even a short test drive. A vehicle history report prepared by a third party is one way to know what you're getting. Combining information from state DMVs (Departments of Motor Vehicles) and RMVs (Registry of Motor Vehicles) as well as police reports and other sources, a vehicle history report can give you a comprehensive overview of where the car's been. Here are some things to look for -- or look out for -- when you get a report on a vehicle. None of these things is necessarily a reason not to buy a car, but you shouldn't make a decision without asking about anything you see on a vehicle history: Many owners The more garages a car's been in, the less likely it's been lovingly cared for all its life. Not everyone is as responsible about car care as you are. Rental cars and former taxis, for example, will often have undergone a lot of abuse, although they tend to be quite inexpensive. Location, location, location Some parts of the country are more car-friendly than others. Winter storms (with their accompanying salted roads) can be rough on cars, as obviously can floods, excessive heat or even sea air. Cars that have been where these are common may have hidden damage. Name and description Be sure the car in the report is the same as the car you're looking at. Carefully reviewing the vehicle description is one way to avoid various types of vehicle fraud, like VIN cloning. A cloned vehicle involves using a vehicle identification number (VIN) from a legally owned, non-stolen vehicle to mask the identity of a similar make/model stolen vehicle. Reports, should include detailed descriptions of the vehicle, so you can make sure the car you're reading about is the same as the one you're looking at. Suspicious markings Keep an eye out for records of body work that might indicate a prior unreported incident. Vehicle history reports, like those from CARFAX, can be very comprehensive. In the case of CARFAX, the company's database contains more than five billion records from thousands of public and private sources, including all DMVs in the United States and Canada and thousands of vehicle inspection stations, auto auctions, fleet management and rental agencies, automobile manufacturers, and fire and police departments.

If a car has a lot of previous owners, it's more likely to be not-well cared for . A car from the north would be more affected by damaging winter storms . VIN cloning is a type of fraud where stolen cars use fake legitimate numbers . Body work could indicate an unreported accident .

(AOL Autos) -- Over the decades, I've interviewed dozens of automotive engineers; engine engineers, transmission engineers, chemical engineers, tire engineers, etc. But never have I interviewed an engineer quite like Ford's Cristina Rodriguez. Cristina Rodriguez has been with the Ford Motor Company for 12 years. What separates Crissy (what she prefers to be called at work) from other engineers is that it seems as though she was born be where she is today; the Vehicle Dynamics Development Engineer of the 2010 Ford Taurus. The Taurus goes on sale this summer, and it is arguably the most important vehicle Ford announces this year. This thirty-something Puerto Rican is the only woman at Ford Motor Company to have achieved her status as a Vehicle Dynamics Development Engineer. The job is equal parts engineer, race driver and vehicle psychologist. "As an engineer, I need to make sure the car is safe," Rodriguez said. "As a (race) driver I have to make sure the car handles well. And then I have to tune the car to have the right personality for being the latest Ford." AOL Autos: Best sedans under $30K She goes on to define what how cars exhibit personality. "Some cars have a more relaxed personality, so everything about the way they drive is soft and slower to react," she said. "Fords have a DNA that is sportier, more fun to drive, more responsive, more alive, so they need to feel that way." You'll be able to tell whether Rodriguez has done her job well when you get behind the wheel of the new Taurus. While we didn't get to drive the new Taurus, we did get an opportunity to ride in the high-performance Taurus SHO model at Ford Motor Company's Dearborn, Michigan proving grounds (a special test track for developing new cars and trucks). More on that experience later. AOL Autos: Best and worst automotive designs Preparing for success Rodriguez told us about her background in the automotive business. "I've grown into this job because Ford's engineering group works on a model that emphasizes 'technical maturity.'" AOL Autos: First drive of the 2010 Chevy Camaro For Rodriguez, this means that because she first possessed the technical background for the job, she was then able to develop and prove her practical skills on her way to becoming one of the company's most influential engineers. She's been with Ford 12 years. Matter-of-factly, Rodriguez elaborates. "In this job, your body has to become a precisely calibrated instrument that can understand what the car's mechanicals are doing," she said. "It takes a while to tune your body, but I've been working on this particular chassis for eight years, so I really know what it's capable of and how to make it respond." While the 2010 Taurus is an all-new vehicle, it is related to other Ford products (the Lincoln MKS, Ford Flex, and the outgoing Ford Five Hundred/Taurus). Rodriguez also contributed to the ride and handling on those vehicles, a task that began with the Ford Five Hundred back in 2001. Born to Cuban parents who fled Castro's communist regime, Rodriguez grew up in Puerto Rico. "I learned to be a methodical thinker from my father, who was a chemical engineer," she said. "But it was my mother who was the mechanical one. She encouraged me when I was growing up to figure out how things worked, and she never got too mad at me when I put things back together and still had a few pieces left over." While Rodriguez worked on her motor skills, another aspect of her life laid groundwork for her future success. "I come from a very athletic family," she said. "My grandfathers and uncles played Olympic basketball, so we were always active. I can remember that when my brother enrolled in little league baseball, he didn't want to join without a friend, so my mother

Ford's Cristina Rodriguez is an engineer and race car driver . As child, she took things apart, put them back together, some parts left over . Rodriguez designed Taurus 2010, one of Ford's most important vehicles . Your body has to be precisely calibrated instrument to understand car's mechanicals .

(AOL Autos) -- Protecting drivers and passengers from injury has been a high priority for car makers for the last 40 years or more. A truck driver tests an anti-collison system. The red light goes on if the car in front of him is too close. Not just because it's the right thing to do, but also because having a reputation for building safe vehicles helps automakers sell more cars. But in recent years, high-tech advancements have come along at such a fast and furious rate that auto-safety systems have entered a whole new universe. For most of the history of auto manufacturing, car makers' efforts in the area of safety have been devoted to developing "passive" safety features -- seat belts, air bags, building a stronger frame for the cabin, side-impact door beams, etc. All those things help you stay safe once you are involved in an accident. But just as advanced technology has changed almost every other industry, so too has it changed the automotive industry, leading to the design of more "active" safety features. AOL Autos: Safest cars It started with now-common features like anti-lock brakes (ABS) and electronic stability control systems (ESC). But in recent years, engineers have taken safety technology to a new level. And these days, they spend more time and money researching and developing "crash avoidance" features and technologies. These computerized systems, instead of protecting you if a crash occurs, help you avoid accidents in the first place. Some of these systems are already in vehicles on the road today, while others are coming down the pipeline in the next few years. Mercedes uses radar, rear-view monitor Given that it's a higher-priced luxury brand, it figures that Mercedes-Benz is one of the leaders when it comes to these kinds of high-tech crash-avoidance systems. Finely-tuned anti-lock brake and electronic-stability-control systems are standard equipment in all Mercedes cars. AOL Autos: Best and worst hybrids "And presently, a number of our vehicles offer Distronic Plus, a crash-avoidance system that employs dual-band radar that measures the distance between you and the vehicle ahead of you," said Patrik Borenius, Mercedes' manager of advanced product planning. "If that distance closes too rapidly, indicating that a crash might be imminent, it emits first an audible signal, then a visual warning, and the system can actually start to apply the brakes to a certain threshold. "Or, if you start to apply the brakes yourself, but not quickly enough to help you avoid impact, our Brake Assist system applies even more braking power." AOL Autos: Most popular fuel-efficient cars "We also have a Blind Spot Monitor that uses radar to examine the area just to the rear and to the left of your vehicle," added Bart Herring, product manager for Mercedes' S-Class and CL-Class. "So when another vehicle, or any object, enters into that blind spot, a red indicator light in your side view mirror lights up. And if you start to change lanes while that other car is in your blind spot that also triggers an audio alert to warn you." Plus, Mercedes' Rear View Monitor "views" anything that is directly behind the vehicle as it is backing up, and then projects that image onto the navigation-system screen. This feature helps avoid accidents in situations where the vehicle is going in reverse and the driver's view of oncoming traffic is impaired -- like in parking structures, or when backing out of a driveway on a heavily-trafficked street. AOL Autos: Most popular crossover vehicles Mercedes also offers a Night View system in the S-Class and CL-Class, which, at night, "gives you a very sharp, daytime-quality picture of everything that is going on in front of you," Herring said. "And it's projected onto a separate display screen that's in the middle of the instrument

High-tech advancements push auto-safety systems forward . Having reputation for building safe vehicles helps automakers sell more cars . Mercedes' Rear View Monitor views directly behind the vehicle as it backs up . Chrysler system senses when car is in danger of rolling over .

(AOL Autos) -- Regular readers of AOL Autos know that we have done a series of stories on the development and increasing popularity of cars that run -- or will eventually run -- on alternative fuels. The mandatory use of CNG in public service vehicles began in New Delhi, India in 2000. We've written about hybrids, clean-diesel engines, fuel-cell technology, ethanol and more. That brings us to another entry in the auto industry's ongoing research and development of green-technology: compressed natural gas (CNG). Scientists are trying to determine which alternative fuel will best strike a balance between being environmentally friendly and commercial viability. CNG might be the answer. Vehicles running on CNG have actually been around since the early 1990s, but have not been a dominant force in the marketplace mostly because the infrastructure (i.e. re-fueling stations) is not yet in place to support high-volume sales of CNG-powered cars. Presently, there are only about 1,600 CNG refueling stations in the U.S, compared with up to 200,000 gas stations. Currently there is only one CNG-powered model sold on the consumer market that is actually manufactured as a CNG-powered car. That's the Honda Civic GX, which boasts an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 24/36 miles per gasoline-gallon equivalent. AOL Autos: Best hybrids Rich Kolodziej, president of Natural Gas Vehicles for America said there are other natural-gas-powered vehicles on the road -- about 130,000, he estimates -- but that the vast majority of those are part of commercial or transit fleets or have been converted from gasoline-powered cars. "They're mostly fleet vehicles, like transit buses, delivery trucks, and the fleets maintained by the gas company, the electric company, etc," he said. "We don't have hard figures about conversions, but I'd bet that about 25 percent of those 130,000 were once gasoline-powered vehicles that have been converted to CNG vehicles," Kolodziej said. "There are a growing number of companies making certified conversion systems and installing them." NGVAmerica maintains a list of certified conversion systems on its Web site: www.ngvc.org. AOL Autos: Fuel-efficient used cars Some of those 130,000 are also natural-gas-powered vehicles manufactured and sold by Ford, Chrysler and GM back in the early '90s, he says -- back when the U.S. manufacturers were still in the business of making CNG-powered cars. But we'll get back to that later. But with the price of gasoline currently averaging over $4 a gallon nationally, Kolodziej predicts there will be more and more demand for CNG-powered vehicles like the Civic GX. "I went to a conference a couple of months ago, and every manufacturer we talked to said that their phones were ringing off the hook, from people who are saying they'd be interested in buying a CNG-powered car," Kolodziej said. "And there are more and more people and companies who want to get into the conversion business." AOL Autos: Hybrid SUVs The cost of conversions varies by the type of vehicle, Kolodziej noted. "But most cost in the $10,000 range. Most conversion systems are certified for Ford and GM models, among others," he said. On the financial side, natural gas is about 30 percent less expensive than gasoline when it is purchased at a refueling station. It's about 50 percent less expensive when you fill 'er up at home, via home refueling appliance that tap into your natural gas line, Kolodziej said. Owners of the Honda Civic GX in New York and California who have natural gas piped into their homes can purchase the "Phill" re-fueling system for about $3,500. This Phill system can be used whether your CNG vehicle was manufactured that way or converted, he said. AOL Autos: Luxury cars with best gas mileage "The Phill is about the size of a pay phone, and you hang it on the garage wall, and vent it like a dryer and plug it into a gas line

Scientists trying to determine which alternative fuel is best for future . Some say compressed natural gas could be the answer . Only only one CNG-powered model sold on the consumer market today . About 1,600 CNG refueling stations in U.S, compared to 200,000 gas stations .

(AOL Autos) -- Since there have been cars, people have chosen their rides based on what their cars say about them. AOL Autos put a list of cars before automotive industry experts to capture their take on several popular cars. Drivers of the dependable Camry know what's important in life, says expert. Our panel consisted of Stephanie Brinley, senior manager at Auto Pacific; James Bell, editor and publisher of IntelliChoice and Jim Markwalder, veteran automotive consultant from Detroit. Rest assured, these experts did not pull any punches. Toyota Prius: Green no matter its color Brinley looked through the company's vast data on the Toyota Prius . "Buying a Prius shows the world that you love the environment and hate using fuel," said Brinley. "Compared to the overall industry, Prius buyers are more often women, have fewer kids and more often have college educations." Bell adds, "New Prius buyers want to be part of the 'green' club." "Prius drivers like the video-game challenge of continuously trying to best your own fuel economy achievements," said Brinley. Markwalder opines: "There's a good chance that if you come upon a line of slow moving traffic, a Prius driver will be at the front of the line, self-righteously driving under the speed limit on his or her way to save the world." We're just quoting here, folks. Chevrolet Corvette: Performer for the mid-life crisis The Chevy Corvette "seems to be more often a reward car. Its buyers are older than the industry average, with 88 percent born before 1946, according to Auto Pacific data. Only 11 percent of Corvette owners are in Gen Y or Gen X." Bell adds: "Sadly, the usual stereotype of the Corvette buyer as a 57-year old male deep in a mid-life crisis is proven." Better car than its image suggests Bell sees another side to the Corvette. "It is the absolute greatest performance bargain on the planet," said Bell. "It's an affordable giant-killer." Markwalder adds, "There have been 1.5 million Corvettes produced since 1953, and while plenty of old guys drive them, they are an engineering marvel that will run 180 mph or return 30+ mpg highway fuel economy." Toyota Camry: A major transportation appliance "I think the Camry gets a bad rap for being the 'microwave oven' of the car industry," said Bell. "It's boring, reliable, efficient, and common. But to many drivers, these words are exactly all they are looking for, making the Camry their own personal rock star. A Toyota Camry in the driveway tells everyone that you know what is important in life, and it's not your car." Dodge Challenger: The transcendent pony car The Dodge Challenger looks more like its original than the 2010 Ford Mustang or Chevrolet Camaro. According to Brinley, the Challenger appeals to Baby Boomers who like styling and power. But almost 30 percent of Challenger buyers are Gen X or Gen Y. Surprisingly, this beats out the Prius, a more forward-looking vehicle; only 18-percent of its buyers are Gen X or Y. Auto Pacific's data shows that the Dodge Challenger is winning buyers too young to remember the original 1970-74 Challenger. "All ages stop and stare at this car," said Bell. "Especially when it's in Hemi Orange, from old-skool Hot Rodders to the Import Tuner crowd." This wide appeal makes pegging the Challenger owner more challenging. Ford F-150: Working man's truck According to Auto Pacific data, the driver of a Ford F-150 work truck (a plain, regular-cab model), is an employed man. Markwalder confirms with this: "Basic Ford trucks, like the XLT, make a good tool for the guy who works hard for an honest living." Bell adds, "We'll see fewer non-work trucks because using them for commuting has lost its shine." Mercedes-Benz R-Class:

The model of car you drive may be telling people all about you . Prius drivers: College educated, want to be part of the "green club" Corvette: An "affordable giant-killer" for men in midlife crisis . Smart ForTwo: "Experimenters with a sense of humor" who sprint away from stops .

(AOL Autos) -- Small cars continue to be hot sellers among buyers looking for fuel economy, style and all-around fun. See which cars are the winners in this list of best-selling small cars. The Honda Civic is popular for its fuel efficiency and affordability. 1. Honda Civic* August 2008 Sales: 30,052 Change vs. Previous Year: 5.3% MSRP: $15,205 - $20,755 Invoice: $14,021 - $19,111 Fuel Economy: 34 mpg Hwy/26 mpg City The Honda Civic is one of the most reliable and popular economy compact sedans/coupes in its class. For years it has set the quality and performance standard for the affordable, compact car market. *Includes Hybrid Model AOL Autos: Honda Civic 2. Toyota Corolla* August 2008 Sales: 29,443 Change vs. Previous Year: -3.4% MSRP: $15,350 - $18,860 Invoice: $14,198 - $17,067 Fuel Economy: 35 mpg Hwy/26 mpg City The new Toyota Corolla is among the best of the compact sedans: reliable and economical yet refined and comfortable. *Includes Toyota Matrix AOL Autos: Toyota Corolla 3. Ford Focus August 2008 Sales: 16,387 Change vs. Previous Year: 23.4% MSRP: $14,995 - $17,970 Invoice: $14,091 - $16,648 Fuel Economy: 35 mpg Hwy/24 mpg City Small, economical, and fun, the 2009 Ford Focus is a smart choice for those looking for a compact car. AOL Autos: Ford Focus 4. Chevrolet Cobalt August 2008 Sales: 15,281 Change vs. Previous Year: -26.6% MSRP: $15,010 - $22,775 Invoice: $14,184 - $21,522 Fuel Economy: 37 mpg Hwy/25 mpg City The Chevy Cobalt is available as either a two-door coupe or a four-door sedan, each available in three trims: the LS, the LT and the SS Turbocharged. AOL Autos: Chevy Cobalt 5. Mazda3* August 2008 Sales: 10,970 Change vs. Previous Year: 4.4% MSRP: $14,490 - $20,595 Invoice: $13,590 - $19,283 Fuel Economy: 32 mpg Hwy/24 mpg City The Mazda3 is a premium compact car, exciting to drive and look at, and equipped with unexpected luxury features, all at a reasonable price. *Includes MazdaSpeed3 AOL Autos: Mazda3 6. Hyundai Elantra August 2008 Sales: 10,031 Change vs. Previous Year: 13.8% MSRP: $13,970 - $16,670 Invoice: $13,592 - $16,004 Fuel Economy: 33 mpg Hwy/24 mpg City The Elantra is an economic compact car with handsome styling and nice lines. It's renowned in two areas, interior space and standard safety equipment. 7. Toyota Yaris August 2008 Sales: 9,474 Change vs. Previous Year: 20.5% MSRP: $12,205 - $15,125 Invoice: $11,473 - $14,217 Fuel Economy: 36 mpg Hwy/29 mpg City The Yaris manages to combine a well-tailored, roomy interior with agile performance and a fuel efficient engine in an entry-level car. 8. Nissan Sentra August 2008 Sales: 9,207 Change vs. Previous Year: 1.4% MSRP: $16,140 - $20,570 Invoice: $15,275 - $19,181 Fuel Economy: 33 mpg Hwy/25 mpg City The Sentra front-wheel drive 4-door sedan is a practical, roomy and economical car with several trims available to suit a person's needs. 9. Nissan Versa August 2008 Sales: 8,015 Change vs. Previous Year: -5.2% MSRP: $12,990 - $16,210 Invoice: $12,539 - $15,634 Fuel Economy: 31 mpg Hwy/26 mpg City The Versa is Nissan's entry-level car with the intention of attracting economy-minded buyers with its mileage, price and larger size than most other vehicles in its class. 10. Hyundai Accent August 2008 Sales: 6,455 Change vs. Previous Year: 73% MSRP: $11,070 - $15,070 Invoice: $10,822 - $14,642 Fuel Economy: 33 mpg

Small cars continue to be hot among buyers looking for fuel economy . Honda Civic is one of the most reliable and popular economy compact cars . Sentra front-wheel drive 4-door sedan is practical, roomy and economical . Yaris combines well-tailored, roomy interior with agile performance .

(AOL Autos) -- Some drivers would say that the United States is a crazy quilt of speed limits, with an emphasis on the "crazy." A sign indicating the highest speed limit in the country stands by Interstate 10 outside of the West Texas town of El Paso. Since 1995, states have been free to set their own maximum speed limits, leading to long debates on safety standards. To some folks, the speed limits are just insane -- either too low or too high, depending on their views about what makes driving safe. Advocates of low speed limits won't find much to like about Texas. True to its frontier roots, it stands out as the land of the fast getaway. The top rural speed limit is normally 70 mph, but in 2006 it set a maximum daytime speed of 80 miles per hour, the highest speed limit on the country, on more than 500 miles of rural interstate in its southwest corner. This includes parts of Interstate 10 between Kerrville and El Paso and of I-20 between Monahans and the I-10 interchange. The speed limit for rural roads in Montana is 75 mph. As a result, it takes just three hours to travel the 228 miles from Billings to Butte at the posted speed. But that's much slower than a Montana driver could have made the trip in early 1999. At that time there was a six-month speeders' honeymoon when the state had almost no control over rural speeds, partly as a result of an unfavorable court ruling. St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands is at or near the other end of the spectrum. In the U.S. territory the speed limit is 20 mph in the city and 30 out in the country. When it comes to accident rates, though, you would be far better off on a Montana interstate than competing with the island's frenetic drivers on the way to Paradise Point. Nationwide, maximum speeds range from 60 miles per hour in Hawaii to 75 in most of the West. Meanwhile, much of the eastern Midwest and the Northeast has opted for maximum speeds of 65 mph, although Michigan and Indiana chose the 70 mph standard more common to the South and the Great Plains states. So if you are cruising west along I-90 out of Ohio, you can enjoy the increase in speed across 150 miles of Indiana before Illinois' lower speed limit -- or its state police -- reins you in. As you continue west, interstate speed limits bump up to 70 in Iowa, and then you can maintain a steady 75 from Nebraska through to the California line, where interstate speeds drop off to 70 again. Should you choose to detour into Oregon, you're back down to 65. From a highway safety standpoint, the patchwork of speed limits at least seems to make sense. Speeds are slower in more populous Eastern states and faster in the wide-open West, although the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety argues that some of the new, higher speed limits out West and elsewhere are costing lives. It estimates that deaths on interstates and freeways have increased 15 percent due to the higher speed limits. But some researchers are skeptical about the link between accidents and high speeds on rural highways, if not on city streets and rural two-lanes. They point to the lower fatality rates on European highways, even though the speeds are generally higher. The maximum legal speed is roughly 80 mph in Poland, Austria, France and a few other countries. There is no speed limit on much of Germany's autobahn, although some sections are restricted to about 80 mph or less. Ironically, the new regime of U.S. speed limits has helped researchers make sense of whether higher rural speed limits are dangerous. Political scientist Robert Yowell, a professor at Northeast Lakeview College in Texas, examined what happened after states began setting higher rural speed limits in 1995. With the federal 65 mph limit gone, it was possible to compare the accident rates before and after the new limits went into effect. The results were clear: "By and large, across the 50 states, there was no discernible effect from the higher limits

U.S. drivers face patchwork of speed limits across the nation . Parts of Texas have speed limits of 80 miles per hour . Some researchers skeptical of link between accidents, high speeds .

(AOL Autos) -- The conventional wisdom, among most folks, anyway, is that buying a used car is usually something done out of necessity, by those on a budget -- that is, people who want, or need, to "move down" from the new-car market because a new model is simply out of their reach. Bottom line, the Lexus reputation is for high-end luxury, quality and long-term dependability. However, there is another category of used cars that appeal to those with a bit more disposable income: used luxury cars. For some buyers, the used-luxury market is a way of getting into that Lexus, Lincoln, Infiniti or Porsche you always wanted, without laying out $70,000 or $80,000 for something you're not actually going to live in. For others, scouring the used-luxury-car listings is a way of re-visiting the halcyon years of their youth. At this point, some of these used-luxe models have been around so long that they almost qualify as vintage throwback editions. Recently, Consumer Reports magazine issued its list of best and worst used cars, and divvied them up by price range. Using CR's recommendations as a guideline, here is a list of some of the best used luxury cars currently on the market in the $24,000-30,000 price range. 2005 & 2006 Acura MDX A luxury SUV, the MDX is spacious, seats seven, and boasts distinctive styling and Acura's famed attention to detail. Plus, it packs some punch under the hood -- this generation was powered by 3.5-liter, 253-hp V6 matched to a five-speed automatic transmission. AOL Autos: Used Acura Priced just right as a new vehicle, it included safety features like dual-stage front airbags, three-point seatbelts and adjustable head restraints for all seating positions. 2007 Acura RDX A crossover vehicle that mixes sedan-like ride with SUV roominess, the '07 RDX offered unibody construction, leather upholstery, heated front seats, power moonroof, 18-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires, xenon HID headlights with foglamps and the 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine -- plus a five-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters on the steering wheel, and the patented SH-AWD (SH for Super Handling) system. 2006 & 2007 Acura TL A mid-size, front-wheel-drive, four-door sedan powered by a 258-hp 3.2-liter V6, the Acura TL is a fine road machine. Actually, it was available for '06-'07 as both a TL and a higher-end TL Type S -- the latter of which sported an upgraded engine, a 286-hp 3.5-liter. Depending on trim level, you can find it with a five-speed automatic with a console-mounted lever or shift paddles on the steering wheel. 2007 Audi A3 Audi designers have always shown a certain flair for dynamics, and that is evident here, in a sharply-engineered, handsomely-appointed vehicle that offers a fine balance between silky ride, nimble handling and zesty performance. This sporty compact was powered by a 200-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine in '07, and came standard with a six-speed manual and an optional Direct Shift Gearbox. AOL Autos: Used Audi 2005 & 2006 BMW 3-Series The 3-Series is another winning stable of cars, but Consumer Reports especially liked specific model years/versions/features in the 3-Series family: The 2005 RWD coupe and convertible; the '06 325i RWD sedan; the '06 330i RWD sedan and the '05 Z4. Depending on the model year and version, the standard engine ranged from a 184-hp 2.5-L to a 255-hp 3.0-L. AOL Autos: Used BMW 2005 & 2006 Infiniti FX35 Another of the many crossovers that have hit the market the last several years, the FX35 is one of the sportier editions. During these model years, the FX35 2WD came with a 280-hp 3.5-liter V6 and a five-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel-drive was standard, but AWD was also an option. Some spiffier features included leather seating

Some buyers go to used-car market to get the luxury car they always wanted . Consumer Reports magazine issues its list of best and worst used cars . Infiniti G35 is one of the more svelte sports-sedan beauties on the road . 1998 Porsche 911 made the list of cars for under $30,000 .

(AOL Autos) -- The little two-passenger smart fortwo is the most fuel-efficient car (not counting hybrids) in the U.S. market, with EPA fuel economy ratings of 33 mpg city, 41 highway. For high-mileage frugality, it appears to beat the five-passenger Toyota Yaris and its 29/35-mpg ratings by a long shot. Look at the inside of your car's fuel door to find out whether you're required to use a certain octane gasoline. But wait! Premium fuel -- which cost about 12 percent more than regular at U.S. pumps last month -- is required for the fortwo. Suddenly the gap closes and the Smart no longer looks like as strong of a fuel-budget buster. And with the requirement, they mean it: smart says you'll lose your warranty coverage if you don't ante up. With premium fuel averaging about 24 cents more per gallon than regular, your choices at the pump can add up very quickly. If you drive a 20-mpg vehicle 15,000 miles a year, that's an extra $180, each year, toward those extra few octane points. If you have a thirstier truck or SUV or cover more mileage, it could amount to hundreds of dollars a year. New-car buyers, take notice. Add fuel requirements to your shopping checklist, because it will impact your wallet with every visit to the gas station, for years of ownership. The expensive stuff is typically recommended -- though not always required -- for luxury and high-performance cars, while less-expensive sedans, coupes, and SUVs only require 87-octane. But there are plenty of exceptions. Alan Hall, a spokesman for Ford, says that the automaker no longer has any models that require premium grade and only a few for which it's recommended. Regular unleaded is fine across all the models of Ford's Lincoln luxury brand, says Hall, so "as a luxury car buyer you don't have that added premium of premium fuel." Ford now does all of its engine development and vehicle testing on 87-octane, regular-grade fuel. "We don't want to give you a product that will have durability issues," explains Hall, if premium-grade isn't available everywhere. Another exception in the luxury-car realm is Hyundai; the automaker chose to tune the new high-performance V-8 engine in its Genesis sedan for premium fuel, but it also certified it for regular-grade. The automaker is the first to list power figures both with premium (375 hp) and regular (368 hp), letting owners opt for either top performance or a substantial savings at the pump. For the record, there's no measurable difference in fuel economy between the two grades, or any greater potential for damage, according to Hyundai. "We wanted to give customers the choice," explained Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson. "If you want a few extra horsepower, go ahead and spend a little more at the pump." Along with several European automakers, the BMW Group recommends premium fuel for all of its vehicles -- including the economical MINI Cooper -- yet Ford doesn't even recommend premium for its sporty, V-8-powered Mustang GT. The high-performance, 540-hp Shelby GT500 is the only new Ford vehicle to carry the recommendation for premium ... and Hall concedes the engine will get a "slight boost" from premium. Throwing money away? You might have been led to believe at some point that your vehicle will do better with premium, but with most newer vehicles, that's simply not true. Provided yours just calls for 87-octane, chances are you won't notice the difference, according to a number of experts, and you're essentially throwing the money away. The best way to tell, advises John Nielsen, director of AAA's Auto Repair and Buying Network, is to simply look at the inside of the fuel door; if it says, "use premium fuel only," and specifies a higher octane number (regular is typically 87, premium is 91 or higher), then the expensive stuff is actually required for the

Fuel octane requirements can be found on inside of car's fuel door . Using a higher-than-required octane won't make car run better, experts say . Ford says it does all vehicle development on regular-grade fuel now . Check the gas requirements for new fuel-efficient car to maximize savings .

(AOL Autos) -- There is an old adage which goes something like this: "The cheap man always pays more in the long run." Consumer Reports analyzed the cost of ownership across the 300 models in their database. Consumer Reports magazine recently reached a similar conclusion when it announced the results of a study that compared the cost of ownership of more than 300 cars. Consumer Reports noted that a car with a cheaper sticker price can often cost consumers more in the long run when compared to a higher-priced alternative. The report, which appeared in Consumer Reports' Annual April Auto Issue, was based on a comparison of the 300 models in the Consumer Reports database. In short, the report concluded that a car's sticker price is one of many factors that should be taken into account when trying to decide between two cars in the same class. For example, at about $17,500, a Mitsubishi Lancer is priced $5,000 less than a Mini Cooper. But when factoring in the total costs of ownership for each vehicle, the Lancer could cost drivers about $3,000 more to own over the first five years, according to the study. And the purchase price of a Toyota Highlander is about $3,000 more than a V6 Ford Explorer -- but the Explorer's total cost of ownership is an extra $6,500 over those five years. The study took into account such factors as depreciation, fuel costs, interest paid on the car loan, insurance, maintenance, repair costs and sales tax. Online subscribers to www.ConsumerReports.org can compare the costs for one, three, five and eight years of ownership. "We think this information is valuable for consumers who have shopped around, and settled on a couple of different cars they like, and then have to decide on one or the other," noted Cliff Weathers, Consumer Reports' deputy editor, autos. "We're giving this information to the consumer to use as a tool to help them make that decision, a tie-breaker, if you will. "If they're trying to decide between a Pontiac Solstice and Mazda Miata, for example, they can go to our Web site and find out which one will cost less to own over that five-year period. And in this particular case, the answer would be the Miata -- which was one of the least expensive cars to own of all the cars evaluated in our survey." Depreciation was factored into the estimates based on the assumption that the vehicle will eventually be traded in when buyers make their next car purchase. "Depreciation is the factor that accounts for the highest cost of ownership," Weathers explained. "Depreciation accounts for 48 percent of the cost of ownership over the first five years." Different models depreciate faster, and more significantly, than others. In order to calculate depreciation for this owner-cost comparison, Consumer Reports started with the price that a typically-equipped model generally sells for. If a particular model often sells at a largely-discounted price that was also factored in. Consumer Reports then deducted the wholesale trade-in value of the car at the end of the period, based on data from their Used Car Price Service, Weathers explained. In those cases when Consumer Reports didn't have depreciation data for a new model, it used estimates based on comparable vehicles. The Fuel Factor The second-biggest factor in cost-of-ownership, after depreciation, is fuel costs, which account for 21 percent of the total ownership costs. "Fuel economy can really make a big difference," Weathers said. "If you have a car that gets 25 miles per gallon, and another car that gets 19 miles per gallon, that's a potential difference of thousands of dollars over five years, if you're driving 12,000 miles a year." Consumer Reports calculated fuel costs by assuming that the vehicles would be driven 12,000 miles a year -- the average annual mileage reported by those who responded to Consumer Reports' annual reader survey. Consumer Reports then applied the national average price of regular gas as of December 2007

A car with a cheaper sticker price can often cost consumers more in the long run . Report based on comparison of the 300 models in Consumer Reports database . Second-biggest factor in cost-of-ownership, after depreciation, is fuel costs . Maintenance and car repairs account for only four percent of the cost of ownership .

(AOL Autos) -- There is no easy cure for teenage traffic deaths and injuries, but Susan Kessler believes she has at least come up with a way to help limit the carnage: When a new driver gets behind the wheel, just slap a temporary warning sign on the car. The Caution and Courtesy Driver Alliance volunteers hand out the magnets during 2008 publicity campaign. Kessler has developed signs for teens with learner permits and first-year licenses. They are attached magnetically to the car's sheet metal and display the words "Caution Newly Licensed." It's not hard to imagine the signs being a nightmare to teens obsessed with what their peers think. But, Kessler, a Kennesaw, Georgia, mother of six, says the real horror is out on the highway: thousands of young people are killed and injured in traffics every year. More than 15,000 of people have ordered the signs since Kessler and a group of other moms introduced them four years ago. Parents can mount one on the trunk when a teenager takes off in the family car and remove it when he or she returns home. Once other drivers see it, they presumably exercise extra caution and create a "protective bubble" around the new driver, or so the thinking runs. AOL Autos: Rules for safe driving Kessler would even like to see states require the use of the signs for new drivers, as some European countries do, and she has found some support for this in the Georgia legislature. Her goal is straightforward: limit teenagers' capacity to do damage to themselves and others. Drivers 16 to 19 years old are four times as likely as older drivers to end up in a collision, all other things being equal, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). All U.S. states have adopted tougher licensing systems since the mid-1990s, generally requiring more supervised hours of driving and imposing more restrictions on new licensees. But they have all stopped short of setting the minimum driving age at 18, as most European countries do. The latest research has confirmed that putting restrictions on young drivers does pay off in lower accident, injury and fatality rates. One IIHS study over 10 years found that states with strong licensing laws had 30 percent fewer fatalities among 15 to 17 year olds than states with weak laws (those lacking restrictions on cell phone use, for example, or having only minimal restrictions on nighttime driving during the first year of driving). AOL Autos: Most common car related injuries Armed with a decade of data, activists like Kessler now see a chance to save more lives with further reform. "My first fear for each of my sons is, 'Please don't let anybody hit them,'" she said. "My second fear is that they might hit anyone else." "Do you have any idea what it is like to be the parent of a 16-year-old who has killed someone?" she asked. "Parents have called me and said it's like living in a black hole." Her campaign started four years ago when she started to worry about her son Donnie, even though his turn at driver training was still a few years down the road. The fact that nearby Atlanta ranked as one of the most congested cities in the country naturally fed her fears. She and a group of friends began to think about ways to give young drivers an edge. They didn't want to force teenagers to wait until they were 21 to drive. But they did want to help them stay safe while they were learning. AOL Autos: Teen driving tips The moms came up the idea for magnetic signs, only later discovering that a similar approach is a requirement for new drivers in parts of Europe, Kessler said. Once, when she proposed the idea to a Georgia state official, he asked her if there was anyone who didn't like it. She laughed and said, "Yes, my son. But we can work on him." But she is happy the other people can readily identify new drivers and give them plenty of room. "

Research finds putting restrictions on young drivers lowers accident rates . Some countries require new drivers to post warning signs on their cars . Mother of teen invents magnets for cars that warn, Caution Newly Licensed . Identifying teens lets police enforce restrictions such as number of passengers .

(AOL Autos) -- With car companies going in into bankruptcy and shedding famous names left and right, it's important to remember that today's automotive titans started out as tiny startups, not unlike Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. General Motors was almost called International Motors Co. Names like Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota and Porsche call to mind the huge corporate successes of the past and the great automotive families that survive today. But behind every brand name, there is a flesh-and-blood inventor, entrepreneur or industrialist. Most of the time, they gave their name to the companies. And that fame was often about all they ended up with. David Buick, who invented the overhead valve engine, founded the Buick Motor Car Co. in 1903. William C. Durant, the industrialist who would eventually found GM, took over the company in 1904, when it ran into financial trouble. Buick stayed on as a director, but left in 1908, never making much money from the enterprise. He reportedly died in 1929, unable to afford one of his cars. Durant kept the name for one of his company divisions and for the car, even though he worried that people might pronounce it "Boo-ick," according to one author. Strangely enough, the man who practically created General Motors single-handedly never really liked the idea of a 'Durant' car. In another example, Robert Hupp invented the Hupmobile,'a two-seat runabout, in 1908. But he sold his stock in his Hupp Motor Car Company in 1911. He turned around and founded the Hupp Corp. that same year. Investors in his first firm took him to court to make him drop the "Hupp" from his new company's name and they won. His own automotive glory quickly faded, although the Hupmobile survived until the 1940s. Swiss-born Louis Chevrolet's experience was similar. Durant brought him into a new car-building venture in 1911, hoping to trade on his fame as an absolutely fearless race car driver. Chevrolet left the company in 1913, apparently unable to make the adjustment from racing to building production vehicles. But its name stuck to the new Chevrolet vehicles; Durant reportedly liked its musical lilt. It could also work the other way around. In 1925, Walter P. Chrysler got the naming rights to the Maxwell Motor Co. after he and another industrialist steadily bought up shares in the firm over a two-year period. Things turned out a little differently for Henry Ford. He suffered the ignominy of being booted from an early auto company that bore his own name. But his revenge was sweet. The Henry Ford Company, which traded freely on Ford's early fame as an inventor, fired him in 1902 "because he was spending all his time developing a race car, not a passenger car," according to the Encyclopedia of American Business and Biography. AOL Autos: Ford's 'Wonder Woman' engineers most important new car After Ford was gone, the company was renamed Cadillac, after Antoine Laumet de la Mothe Cadillac, the French nobleman who founded Detroit in 1703; his heraldry became the model's badge and the company became a part of General Motors in 1909. After his firing, Ford quickly found investors to help him found his own firm, the Ford Motor Co., in 1903. He introduced the company's first new vehicle, the Model and followed it up with other low-cost vehicles, including his greatest achievement, the Model T, in 1908. Its price tag started at $850 and fell steadily as Ford introduced more production innovations. The young firm became phenomenally successful. AOL Autos: 10 classic American rides In the 1920s, he got the chance to buy the five-year-old Lincoln Motor Co. out of bankruptcy. It was then owned by one of the very people, Henry Leland, who fired him in 1902. Then he used the former aircraft company to launch his own line of luxury cars bearing the Lincoln name. For its part, General Motors almost didn't get the name it bears today. Durant actually incorporated his company

David Buick invented the overhead valve engine, founded Buick Motor Car Co. Fearless race car driver Louis Chevrolet's name stuck for its musical lilt . The Henry Ford Company fired its namesake who later started Ford Motor Co. Toyota name came from the Toyoda loom works in Kariya, Japan .

(AOL Autos) -- With car companies going in into bankruptcy and shedding famous names left and right, it's important to remember that today's automotive titans started out as tiny startups, not unlike Silicon Valley entrepreneurs. General Motors was almost called International Motors Co. Names like Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota and Porsche call to mind the huge corporate successes of the past and the great automotive families that survive today. But behind every brand name, there is a flesh-and-blood inventor, entrepreneur or industrialist. Most of the time, they gave their name to the companies. And that fame was often about all they ended up with. David Buick, who invented the overhead valve engine, founded the Buick Motor Car Co. in 1903. William C. Durant, the industrialist who would eventually found GM, took over the company in 1904, when it ran into financial trouble. Buick stayed on as a director, but left in 1908, never making much money from the enterprise. He reportedly died in 1929, unable to afford one of his cars. Durant kept the name for one of his company divisions and for the car, even though he worried that people might pronounce it "Boo-ick," according to one author. Strangely enough, the man who practically created General Motors single-handedly never really liked the idea of a 'Durant' car. In another example, Robert Hupp invented the Hupmobile,'a two-seat runabout, in 1908. But he sold his stock in his Hupp Motor Car Company in 1911. He turned around and founded the Hupp Corp. that same year. Investors in his first firm took him to court to make him drop the "Hupp" from his new company's name and they won. His own automotive glory quickly faded, although the Hupmobile survived until the 1940s. Swiss-born Louis Chevrolet's experience was similar. Durant brought him into a new car-building venture in 1911, hoping to trade on his fame as an absolutely fearless race car driver. Chevrolet left the company in 1913, apparently unable to make the adjustment from racing to building production vehicles. But its name stuck to the new Chevrolet vehicles; Durant reportedly liked its musical lilt. It could also work the other way around. In 1925, Walter P. Chrysler got the naming rights to the Maxwell Motor Co. after he and another industrialist steadily bought up shares in the firm over a two-year period. Things turned out a little differently for Henry Ford. He suffered the ignominy of being booted from an early auto company that bore his own name. But his revenge was sweet. The Henry Ford Company, which traded freely on Ford's early fame as an inventor, fired him in 1902 "because he was spending all his time developing a race car, not a passenger car," according to the Encyclopedia of American Business and Biography. AOL Autos: Ford's 'Wonder Woman' engineers most important new car After Ford was gone, the company was renamed Cadillac, after Antoine Laumet de la Mothe Cadillac, the French nobleman who founded Detroit in 1703; his heraldry became the model's badge and the company became a part of General Motors in 1909. After his firing, Ford quickly found investors to help him found his own firm, the Ford Motor Co., in 1903. He introduced the company's first new vehicle, the Model and followed it up with other low-cost vehicles, including his greatest achievement, the Model T, in 1908. Its price tag started at $850 and fell steadily as Ford introduced more production innovations. The young firm became phenomenally successful. AOL Autos: 10 classic American rides In the 1920s, he got the chance to buy the five-year-old Lincoln Motor Co. out of bankruptcy. It was then owned by one of the very people, Henry Leland, who fired him in 1902. Then he used the former aircraft company to launch his own line of luxury cars bearing the Lincoln name. For its part, General Motors almost didn't get the name it bears today. Durant actually incorporated his company

David Buick invented the overhead valve engine, founded Buick Motor Car Co. Fearless race car driver Louis Chevrolet's name stuck for its musical lilt . The Henry Ford Company fired its namesake who later started Ford Motor Co. Toyota name came from the Toyoda loom works in Kariya, Japan .

(AOL Autos) -- With the explosive growth of the light truck segment as well as the impending onslaught of winter, I thought it would be fitting to write about four-wheel drive systems. There are a few different types available; and there are special maintenance practices that might cause some confusion. So let's get enlightened! Four-wheel drive systems can make driving safer on wet road conditions. 4WD systems can be classified as Part Time 4WD, Full Time 4WD, and Permanent 4WD. Part Time 4WD is the most basic of all 4WD systems. It gives the driver the choice of driving in two-wheel drive or 4WD. That sounds pretty good! However, the downside is that you shouldn't engage the 4WD on pavement unless it's very slippery. That's because, with this system, when you engage 4WD you lock the front and rear wheels together through the transmission and transfer gearbox. This is great for straight-ahead traction and very slippery surfaces. However, on dry pavement it makes for odd cornering, and handling characteristics. Also you can harm the drive train components by driving in 4WD for extended periods of time on dry pavement. Consequently, you may find yourself having to stop the vehicle to engage or disengage, depending on the road conditions. AOL Autos: Top 5 SUVs So why choose this type of system? Two good reasons: • It's less costly to build and therefore to buy • It's very durable under heavy stress (generally more durable than the other 4WD systems, since it has fewer components) Full Time 4WD is the most commonly used system on the market. Full Time 4WD offers both two-wheel drive mode and 4WD, depending on road conditions (driver must engage and disengage the 4WD). In addition, the 4WD mode offers both a high and low mode for when the going really gets tough (driver shifts to high or low). AOL Autos: Top 5 crossover vehicles Besides a transmission and transfer gearbox, a center differential couples the front and rear wheels. This differential allows the front and rear wheels to turn at different speeds as needed (unlike Part-Time 4WD system) for better handling. When the wheels start to spin due to slippery road conditions, the system reacts to wheel spin by progressively locking the front and rear wheels together to optimize traction. Although Full-Time 4WD requires the driver to engage it, once engaged it offers more "control" through the high and low mode selection (based on road conditions) and better cornering and handling on varying road conditions due to the differential. AOL Autos: Best luxury wagons Permanent 4WD is similar to Full-Time 4WD but it has no two-wheel drive mode. The vehicle is always in 4WD, so you don't have to determine whether conditions are right to engage it. AOL Autos: Cars with best Blue Book values We still have transmission, transfer gearbox and center differential coupling the front and rear wheels. The only difference is that torque (or power) is constantly being applied to all the wheels, giving maximum traction in all weather and road conditions. Current systems have high and low modes for when the going gets tough; however, most importantly, the system does the thinking for you ... it automatically applies as much lock up (to all the wheels) as necessary for maximum traction. AOL Autos: Best-selling trucks and SUVs Next, a few definitions of common 4WD-drive terms that you may have heard of: Locking Differential - locks both wheels on the axle, forcing them to turn together to allow maximum traction Limited-Slip Differential - detects slippage in one wheel and sends torque to the other wheel that is not spinning. It operates is automatically. On-The-Fly-Shifting - allows the 4WD to be engaged while driving the vehicle (many systems require that you stop the vehicle in order to engage the 4WD). Manual Hubs - In order for 4WD to work, you must have a means of engaging the front wheel drive mechanism. This is done through

Vehicles can have Part Time 4WD, Full Time 4WD or Permanent 4WD . Part Time 4WD: Don't drive for extended time on dry pavement with 4WD engaged . Full Time 4WD offers both two-wheel drive mode and 4WD . Maintenance is extremely critical for locking hubs on 4WD vehicles .

(Ars Technica) -- With the planned settlement between Google and book publishers still on indefinite hold, a legal battle by proxy has started. Google partnered with many libraries at US universities in order to gain access to the works it wants to digitize. Now, several groups that represent book authors have filed suit against those universities, attempting to block both digital lending and an orphaned works project. The suit is being brought by the Authors' Guild, its equivalents in Australia, Quebec, and the UK, and a large group of individual authors. Its target: some major US universities, including Michigan, the University of California system, and Cornell. These libraries partnered with Google to get their book digitization efforts off the ground and, in return, Google has provided them with digital copies of the works. These and many other universities have also become involved with the HathiTrust, an organization set up to help them archive and distribute digital works; the HathiTrust is also named as a defendant. The suit seeks to block two separate efforts. In the first, the universities have created a pooled digital archive of the contents of their libraries, maintained by the Hathitrust. No one contests that these works remain in copyright, or that the universities have rights to the nondigital forms of these works. What the authors object to is the fact that the digital works are derived from an unauthorized scan, and will be stored in a single archive that is no longer under the control of the university from which the scan was derived. The suit suggests that the security of this archive is also suspect, and may allow the mass release of copyrighted work. A separate issue in the suit is an orphaned works project started by the Hathitrust that focuses on some of the works within this archive. The group is attempting to identify out-of-copyright books, and those where the ownership of copyright cannot be established. If attempts to locate and contact any copyright holders fail, and the work is no longer commercially available, the Hathitrust will start providing digital copies to students without restrictions. This has not gone over well. The executive director of the Australian Society of Authors, Angelo Loukakis, stated, "This group of American universities has no authority to decide whether, when or how authors forfeit their copyright protection. These aren't orphaned books, they're abducted books." The authors' coalition would like to see everything grind to a halt -- Google and the libraries kept from any further scanning, the HathiTrust's orphaned works project shuttered, and the digital copies on its servers impounded. The digital works wouldn't be deleted, but it wants to see "any computer system storing the digital copies powered down and disconnected from any network, pending an appropriate act of Congress." (Note that they want them shut down and unplugged, just to be sure.) The Authors Guild was actually a party to the Google book settlement, so it's not like it objects to the effort per se. However, the university libraries had not been a party to it, so this may be the Guild's attempt to tie up loose ends when it comes to nailing down digital rights. Alternately, they may simply be sending a message that, until the settlement is approved, none of Google's efforts should be reaching even a limited segment of the public. In either case, this suit could go a long way towards establishing how many digital rights are granted with the ownership of a book. More on Law & Disorder from Ars Technica COPYRIGHT 2011 ARSTECHNICA.COM

University libraries partnered with Google to get their book digitization efforts off the ground . Authors object to unauthorized scan and storage of works in a single archive . "These aren't orphaned books, they're abducted books," executive director says .

(ArsTechnica) -- Amazon has clarified that the next generation of its 3G Kindle, the Kindle Touch 3G, will not be able to browse the Internet without a WiFi connection. Users will still be able to use 3G to sync book and document purchases, but anything beyond Wikipedia will be off-limits. Browsing was (and still is) an experimental feature on the last iteration of the Kindle, now known as the Kindle Keyboard 3G. The experiment appears to have failed as far as Amazon is concerned, as it will restrict the 3G access of the Kindle Touch 3G to browsing Wikipedia and downloading books and periodicals. The Kindle Touch 3G's webpage does not directly note this restriction, stating only that it has "free 3G wireless" that "works globally," but a post in the official Amazon forums states that "experimental web browsing (outside of Wikipedia) on Kindle Touch 3G is only available over WiFi." Since Amazon subsidizes all Kindle owners' 3G use, the company may have determined the model isn't cost-effective enough to support the use of the entire Internet. The 3G version of the Kindle Touch with special offers costs $149, 50 percent more than the $99 WiFi version, so this restriction may make the jump from WiFi to 3G much harder for customers to justify when both models become available November 21. The announcement doesn't affect the new Kindle Fire announced last week and due for launch November 15, since it is WiFi-only. The Kindle Keyboard 3G, while it is still available, will continue to have unfettered Internet access through the experimental browser. We asked Amazon for confirmation of this policy, but have not received a response as of yet. COPYRIGHT 2011 ARSTECHNICA.COM

The new Kindle Touch 3G will have limited access to the Internet . The 3G version of the Kindle Touch with special offers costs $149 . The Kindle Keyboard 3G will continue to have unfettered Internet access .

(Budget Travel) -- Even the most sophisticated traveler could be forgiven for thinking that there's little more to Panama than its iconic canal, seaside capital, and snorkeler-packed Bocas del Toro islands. The Los Santos region of Panama has spectacular rolling farmlands and blissfully empty beaches. But there's a more secret and equally spectacular side to the country about a five-hour drive west from Panama City: the Pacific coast region of Los Santos. Here, rolling farmlands and stands of mahogany and cocobolo trees hug an azure coastline, luring surfers, nature buffs, and, increasingly, travelers and second-home owners from all over. Although roadside real-estate billboards suggest a far more developed future, Los Santos has managed to stay blessedly free of resorts. In their place are a handful of low-key -- and far more affordable -- boutique hotels. The most stylish is the seven-room Villa Camilla, just outside the fishing village of Pedasí. The red-tiled hideaway, located on an 800-acre parcel of the Azuero Peninsula, started out as a private escape for French interior designer Gilles St.-Gilles and his wife, Camilla. "The area reminded us of Tuscany," says St.-Gilles, who landscaped the estate with fragrant jasmine, plumeria, and hibiscus. In 2005, the couple opened their place as a hotel, and last fall they added 20 new seaside duplex lofts. As stylish as they are family-friendly, the setups come with full-size kitchens, extra guest beds, and mosaic-tile flooring. An in-house stable is ready for shoreline horseback rides, and you can sign up for snorkeling trips to nearby Isla Cañas, a palm-fringed refuge where thousands of leatherback turtles converge to build nests. Farther inland, the center of Pedasí has a cow-town vibe: Picture low-slung cottages painted bright green and yellow, and ranchers wearing handmade Panama hats. Yellow is also the color of choice at the new Casita Margarita. This five-room B&B comes with locally crafted cocobolo furniture and a wraparound veranda overlooking Pedasí's main street. Perhaps best of all, it's within walking distance of local hangout Mano Surf Community, a pro shop that does double duty as a café and juice bar, and El Gringo Dusek, a no-frills, alfresco cantina run by retired U.S. Navy officer Joseph Dusek, which serves the best barbecue ribs in Los Santos. Of course, beyond the culinary surf and turf, the region's big draw is its blissfully empty beaches: Some of Panama's most scenic -- Los Destiladeros, Modroño, and the black-sand Playa Venao with its eight-foot breaks -- are short drives from Pedasí. Closer to home, Pedasí's El Arenal is a good launchpad for day trips to Iguana Island. (Fishermen stationed by the pier rent their motorboats, captain included, for about $50 round trip.) The hotel-free and nearly visitor-free isle is named for its resident black and green iguanas. Sign up for an Iguana Island Foundation snorkeling and hiking tour; you might just get a good look at some hatchlings. While it may be hard to top that sight, 77-year-old Dalila Vera de Quintero knows how to command equal wows. Her lemon-yellow bakery in a bungalow, Dulceria Yely, is famous across Panama for its home-style sweets, like almond queques (pound cakes) and creamy chicheme, a shake blended from sweetened milk, fresh corn, and crushed vanilla beans. She also stashes a cake or two in the kitchen for favorite customers, such as former Panamanian president and Pedasí native Mireya Moscoso. Swoon loudly enough and Quintero may just reward you with a thick presidential slice. If you go ... LODGING Villa Camilla Los Destiladeros, 011-507/232-0171, , from $250 Casita Margarita, Calle Central, 011-507/995-2898, from $99 FOOD Mano Surf Community, Calle Estudiante and Calle Bolivar El Gringo Dusek, Av. Central, 011-507/995-2869, entrées from $5 Dulceria Yely, Calle Ofelia

The Pacific coast region of Los Santos is about five hours from Panama City . The region's big draw is its blissfully empty beaches . The town of Pedasí's is a good launchpad for day trips to Iguana Island .

(Budget Travel) -- For many travelers, duty-free is a luxurious enigma wrapped up in discounted Swiss chocolate and soaked in tax-free vodka. Duty-free goods are mostly sold inside international airport terminals, ferry stations, cruise ports, and border stops. Duty-free shops sell products without local import tax. As the name implies, duty-free shops sell products without duty (a.k.a. local import tax). For example, by buying goods in a duty-free shop at Paris's Charles de Gaulle, you avoid paying the duty that France slaps on imported goods (like Swedish vodka) and that French stores ordinarily include as part of a product's list price. In Europe, there's a bonus perk: Duty-free shops in airports and ports are "tax-free shops," too, which means you are spared the value added tax (or V.A.T., a type of sales tax) that would otherwise be included in the price of goods sold elsewhere in the European Union. That means a savings of between 5 and 25 percent, depending on the country. But there's a catch for duty-free products bought in Europe and elsewhere. If you bring into the U.S. more than $800 worth of items purchased abroad -- duty-free or not -- you'll have to pay the U.S. duty. As a rule of thumb, Americans returning from overseas trips must pay 3 percent on the first $1,000 worth of merchandise over the $800 allowance. Import products worth even more than that and you may be taxed at a higher percentage. In short, duty-free is hit-or-miss for Americans. The best deals are on items labeled "tax free" and otherwise taxed heavily -- such as alcohol and cigarettes. You may also find it worthwhile to shop in duty-free stores if you have some local currency left and would rather put it to use than redeem it for dollars (and get hit with the high conversion fee of a bank or currency exchange bureau). Not every duty-free item is a true bargain. Yngve Bia, president of the duty-free research company Generation Research, says price differences depend on two things: geography and currency exchange rates. "Right now, Heathrow and Gatwick in London offer good deals, especially for liquor, because of the weak British pound," he says. For example, a one-liter bottle of Absolut vodka has a typical non-duty-free price of about $30 at retail U.S. shops. But travelers can buy it for just $15 (£10) at duty free shops at London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports. That's a significant savings. We found impressive discounts on booze elsewhere, too. One liter of Absolut sells for $17.50 (€13.50) at duty-free shops at Rome's and Brussels's main international airports, and for a bit more elsewhere, such as in Prague ($18.50, or 399 Czech koruna) and Munich ($21, or €16). Those prices offer substantial savings off the $30 benchmark price at a typical U.S. retail store. But be aware that American states may restrict how much alcohol you may import duty-free. There's a typical one-liter limit for all types of alcohol per person, though the rule depends on your state of residence and the country you've visited. (One exception: You can return from a visit to a Caribbean country with up to two liters of alcohol duty-free.) Cigarettes offer similar savings. Gatwick's duty-free shop sells a carton of Marlboro Reds for $36 (£24). The same carton goes for $27 (€20) at the airport in Rome. In New York -- the state with the highest cigarette tax in the nation -- a carton of Marlboro Reds goes for about $80. In a state with more-typical cigarette taxes, Minnesota, the price of a carton is $44 -- still higher than in duty-free shops. (Note: U.S. customs law allows you to import only up

Duty-free shopping is hit-or-miss for Americans . The best deals are on items labeled "tax free" and otherwise taxed heavily . For countries in the EU, duty-free shops at airports and ports are also tax-free .

(Budget Travel) -- Hard as it may be for anyone under 30 to imagine, there was a time when people used to shoot eight-millimeter films while on vacation and then show them to friends and family gathered around a projector in the living room. Nowadays, capturing video is far easier (whether you use a video camera, a digital still camera with video capability or even a cell phone), as is the sharing: YouTube has proved that millions of folks have learned to upload video to a computer and instantly e-mail a link to family and friends. Whether you use a video camera, a digital still camera with video capability, or even a cell phone, capturing video has never been easier. While YouTube remains a popular venue for sharing vacation videos, Web sites specifically targeting travelers are also springing up. The quality of the applications and usefulness of the content, however, vary greatly. We tested four to see which are easiest, which have bugs to work out and which can even help you offset your travel costs. Travelistic For anyone just getting the hang of online video sharing, no-frills Travelistic -- founded by veterans of Condé Nast, iFilm and MTV -- is a good start. Before you upload a video, Travelistic directs you through a simple registration process and asks you to write a short description of your clip. When the video is posted, you can e-mail friends to tell them to watch it. You can also create a profile page to list your videos, add links to other people's clips and indicate on a world map where you've been and where you'd like to go. Cool: Similar to YouTube, Travelistic gives an embed code for most postings, allowing anyone on the Internet to add the clip to his or her own Web site or blog. Likewise, YouTube videos can be embedded into Travelistic. Not cool: No registration is required to leave comments on other people's videos, leading to spam. Travelistic also doesn't restrict who can post videos, so some material on the site comes from tourism promoters. Upload time: Painfully slow at 20 minutes.* Revver Revver is a general-interest video-sharing site with a category devoted to travel clips. Its process for uploading a video is similar to Travelistic's, but the personal "dashboard" is much more sophisticated. You can collect friends, à la Facebook, and add other people's videos to your playlist (a compilation of favorite clips). There are also more ways to share your videos: The site allows you to use embed codes to link your videos to social-networking sites, and your friends can download the clips as podcasts in iTunes. Cool: The site affixes small advertisements to the bottom of every video, usually promoting something germane. (For example, an ad for a Miami hotel is attached to a home movie of Miami Beach.) Revver then pays you half the revenue it makes from the video ads -- the total depends on how many people view the ads or click on them. You can track how much you've made in your dashboard, and you're automatically paid through PayPal once you've earned at least $20. Earnings can be substantial. The creators of an extremely popular Diet Coke and Mentos video on the site have made $50,000. Not cool: Editors screen all of the videos to ensure that no obscene or copyrighted material will be posted to the site -- the process can take several hours or even a day. If your video has more than 10 seconds of a Beyoncé song in the background, for instance, the editors could consider it a copyright violation and block the clip's posting. Upload time: Five minutes. Tripfilms Founded by four friends in New York City, including former IgoUgo chief executive Tony Cheng, Tripfilms is geared toward people who think of themselves as filmmakers, professional or otherwise, with higher-quality and more informative clips than those on other video-sharing sites. But that shouldn't deter the novice videographer; Tripfilms's videos may be slicker than those on other

Video-share Web sites specifically targeting travelers are springing up . Travelistic gives an embed code for most postings, so others can post the clip . Revver pays users half the revenue it makes from ads on their submissions .

(Budget Travel) -- Here's a snapshot of Portugal's defining experiences: beaches, cities, and food and wine. Get a sense of which ones fit your travel style and your budget. Sandy beaches dot Portugal's rugged coastline. Find a secluded beach The Algarve, southern Portugal's balmy riviera, sees nothing but blue sky 300 days of the year. Admire the ocean views from the roof terrace at Dianamar, in the whitewashed old center of Albufeira, just a block from the beach. Rooms are simple, but all have private terraces, and the price includes a generous breakfast buffet and afternoon cake (doubles from $65). The most dramatic coastline is along the drive to the medieval fortress town of Lagos. (Cars can be rented for around $30 a day in Albufeira; book online with companies like Europcar.) Between Praia de Dona Ana and Porto do Mós, the cliffs have been broken by the wind and sea into jagged rock formations pierced by blowholes and grottoes. Secret half-moon bays of golden sand lie hidden from view from all but the ocean. An hour beyond Lagos is Europe's southwesternmost point: Cabo São Vicente, a cape whose plunging cliffs are dotted with crumbling medieval churches and castles. More than 500 years ago, Portuguese sailing ships left to explore the world from these shores. There's great hiking in the fragrant pine woods and peach orchards less than 20 miles inland, around the spa town of Monchique -- a cluster of tiny houses and 18th-century mansions tumbling down a steep, wooded valley. The trail up to the Picota peak has magnificent views out over the coast all the way to the cape. Families from Lisbon take weekends on the beaches of Cascais, less than 20 miles from the capital. There they jostle for space on three broad, short beaches and wander, ice cream in hand, along the ocean esplanade or the clusters of narrow streets crowded around the town's imposing fort. For wilder, lonelier sand, head to Guincho, four miles west. This sweeping, gently curved shoreline is pounded by some of the best surf in the eastern Atlantic. An almost constant wind makes for superb windsurfing; a world championship is hosted here most Augusts. But watch out for those rips and prepare for cold water. While the Algarve is good for swimming from spring to autumn, you'll need a wet suit around Cascais for all but the summer months. The town is easily reached from Lisbon; trains leave from Belém station every 15 minutes and take just over half an hour ($4.50 round trip). But if you choose to stay, take a room at the Solar Dom Carlos, a 16th-century manor in a quiet Cascais backstreet (doubles from $30). There's a pocket-size former Royal Chapel on the hotel grounds. Marvel at opulent chapels and palaces Lisbon spreads in terra-cotta and cobblestone over seven hills, staring out over the Tagus River to the shimmering Atlantic. A rugged Moorish castle tops the skyline, and the streets are lined with baroque churches and Gaudíesque art nouveau buildings. Budget Travel Trip Coach: Friends explore Lisbon and beyond Allow at least three days for a first visit, and make time for the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Extravagantly decorated doorways lead through long cloisters to a church supported by pillars adorned with stone ropes and coils of faux seaweed. These rise to a fan-vaulted ceiling whose thousands of tons of stone somehow look light and airy. Many Portuguese notables are buried at this monastery, including Luís de Camões, author of Portugal's national epic, Os Lusíadas, and the explorer Vasco da Gama. The Gulbenkian is one of the world's great small museums. Oil magnate Calouste Gulbenkian acquired a huge collection of Egyptian, European and Oriental artifacts and Renaissance art, which was brought to Lisbon after his death. Highlights include intricate Roman jewelry, opulent Moorish carpets and tapestries, paintings by Rembrandt and Van Dyck, and an extensive collection of René Lalique's art nouveau glassware. Finish your day with a late afternoon's wander around the narrow, cobbled streets of the Bairro Alto

Portugal's most dramatic coastline is along the drive to the medieval town of Lagos . A Moorish castle tops the Lisbon skyline and baroque churches line the streets . The Douro River valley is stepped with some of Europe's oldest vine terraces .

(Budget Travel) -- I've never been a fan of the cold. As a kid, my favorite part of skiing was the hot chocolate, and I relished blizzards for the snow days, not the snowball fights. So when I booked a trip to the Icehotel in northern Sweden, my family and friends were amused -- and a bit concerned, especially when I got sick days before my flight. "You can't go to the Arctic with a cold!" my mother admonished. The hotel in northern Sweden opens every year in early December and closes at the end of April. But I had good reason for wanting to sleep in a glorified freezer: As an environmental reporter, I was curious to see a place where people have turned snow and ice into a moneymaker, one that's spawned copycats in frigid spots from Canada to Romania. Conceived by Yngve Bergqvist, a river-rafting guide who wanted to lure visitors to the Arctic north during the winter, the Icehotel started out in 1990 as nothing more than a crude igloo. Now, it's a fanciful ice castle that's rebuilt every November with an unparalleled level of artistry -- which explains why each winter 16,000 guests pay hundreds of dollars a night to sleep on a slab of ice and thousands more make the trek just to tour the rooms for the day. The 30 most elaborate suites are the handiwork of a team of artists -- sculptors, painters, architects, even comic book illustrators -- many of whom have never worked with ice before. Wielding chain saws and chisels, they spend weeks crafting frozen furniture while electricians install lights to provide an ethereal glow. Surreal? Exceedingly. This winter, German furniture maker Jens Paulus and American industrial designer Joshua Space created a space-station room straight out of "Star Trek," with giant carvings of the sun and moon on opposing walls and twinkling lights in the ceiling. British decorator Ben Rousseau and graffiti artist Insa devised the Getting Cold Feet suite, with oversize high-heeled ice shoes beside the bed. Twenty-nine unadorned snow caves offer a somewhat less pricey and more purist experience. Since no hotel would be complete without a bar, the artists also sculpt a chic space where guests can warm their innards with an Icebar Jukkasjärvi, a mix of vodka, blueberry liqueur, blue curaçao syrup and elderflower juice, sipped from a cube-shaped ice glass. Then there's the chapel, where designs etched into the ice walls resemble stained glass. About 150 couples tie the knot here each year, some brides bundled in snowsuits, others dressed in white wedding gowns, their teeth chattering as they recite their vows. When I arrive in Sweden, I'm surprised to find that the guests actually spend a lot of time in a pair of heated chalets that look like life-size gingerbread houses. The shower and bathroom are located in the one nearest the hotel -- because, really, who wants to sit on a frozen throne? And the other contains the restaurant, where chef Richard Näslin dreams up such intriguing dishes as arctic char ice cream, which has a slightly salty, smoky flavor and is much more delicious than it sounds. Budget Travel Dream Trip: Scale a volcano in Ecuador After my dinner, wrapped in several layers of fleece and down, I waddle out to a tepee for a folk concert by native Laplander Yana Mangi. At the end of each song, the crowd responds with a uniquely Arctic ovation: muffled mitten clapping. My suite has a nautical theme, with walls curved into a frozen wave and an oval bed of bluish ice set beneath a clam-shaped headboard. Topped with a mattress and a reindeer skin, the setup looks snug. Almost. The temperature is a brisk 23 degrees Fahrenheit, and I'm still petrified I'll lose a finger to hypothermia, even in my head-to-toe winter wardrobe. I climb under the furry blanket, making sure not an inch of skin is exposed. Then I gaze through the slits in my microfleece face mask and marvel at the stillness. My breath comes in shallow white puffs. Soon, I'm

The Icehotel started out in 1990 as nothing more than a crude igloo . Now guests can stay in elaborate suites handcrafted in ice by artists . Bathrooms are located in a heated chalet .

(Budget Travel) -- In the lodging world, green has gone mainstream. Once chided for being wasteful, the big hotel chains are now constantly trying to one-up each other with smart eco-design upgrades and stringent water and energy conservation policies. Hyatt has begun recycling its own aluminum, plastics and paper in countries where such programs don't exist. Consider this fact: In a recent survey, 68 percent of U.S. hotels said they had energy-efficient lights, and two thirds had implemented towel- and linen-reuse programs, up from just over half five years ago. The number of properties trying to become LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified, the most recognized standard for building sustainability, is also on the rise: Applications to the U.S. Green Building Council for the award spiked by 550 percent between 2006 and 2008. More than 500 hotels could soon earn the label; until four years ago, only one had the designation. Although all the major players are making strides toward better green policies, some are doing more than others. Here's what the leaders have achieved in four earth-changing categories: ENERGY CONSERVATION Replacing inefficient lighting, one energy-draining bulb at a time Accor: More than 8,600 Motel 6 locations in at least a dozen states have been retrofitted with occupancy sensors that cause the thermostat to readjust when guests go out. InterContinental: A trial program has been rolled out at 650 hotels that aims to cut energy consumption by as much as 25 percent. If successful, it could be expanded to all of the chain's 4,000 properties, including Holiday Inns. Marriott: Over the past decade, 450,000 incandescent bulbs have been replaced with compact fluorescent ones, and more than 250 hotels (including some Residence Inns) have earned an Energy Star efficiency label from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Starwood: The new Element brand's goal is for every hotel to be LEED certified. Its first property, which opened last year in Lexington, Massachusetts, is fully loaded with Energy Star appliances, LED lighting, and top-notch ventilation systems. All together, that saves enough energy annually to power 236 homes. WATER CONSERVATION Tightening up on all the drips and drops in hotel bathrooms Hilton: The company's aim: to reduce water use at all of its brands, such as Hilton, DoubleTree, and Embassy Suites, by 10 percent by 2014. Its nearly 90 European properties have taken the lead, installing water-saving toilets, showerheads, and faucets over the past three years. Home-turf hotels are next. Hyatt: Nearly all North American properties have "low-flow" showerheads (which use a maximum of 2.5 gallons of water per minute) and toilets (1.6 gallons of water per flush). The improvements helped reduce the chain's overall water consumption by 3 percent in 2007. Marriott: Over the past 10 years, the company has added some 400,000 low-flow showerheads and toilets to all of its locations worldwide. Marriott also buys 1 million towels annually that don't require prewashing, conserving 6 million gallons of water each year. Starwood: All new Element hotels will have low-flow water fixtures in rooms and water-efficient landscaping; its Lexington star has led the way, saving up to 1 million gallons of water per year. GREEN DESIGN Thinking about the environment from the foundation up Accor: The Motel 6 brand broke ground last year on an ultra-green building near Dallas, with laminate flooring made from recycled wood chips and a solar-powered water-heating system. Best Western: Opening this year in Golden, Colorado, the chain's first LEED-certified hotel will run partially on solar power and have a porous asphalt parking lot to reduce storm-water runoff. Hilton: The company's green gem is in Vancouver, Washington: a LEED-approved hotel with low-emission paint on the walls and special drains that funnel rainwater into wells for future use. Hyatt: Seattle's Hyatt at Olive 8, which opened in January, has an 8,000-square-foot rooftop

Survey: 68 percent of U.S. hotels said they had energy-efficient lights . InterContinental aims to cut energy consumption by as much as 25 percent . Nearly all North American Hyatt properties have "low-flow" showerheads and toilets .

(Budget Travel) -- It's all the rage to criticize the airlines. But we found some smart, practical initiatives that point the way to a better future. This test design for Personal Rapid Transit is part of plans for driverless pods to replace airport shuttles. Driverless pods at airports Someday, driverless pods may be zipping passengers between an airport and its parking lots. Fully automated, pods are more convenient than shuttle buses driven by humans. Currently, 18 pods are being tested at London Heathrow's Terminal 5. They let you board when you want to, rather than wait for a bus on a fixed schedule. Punch in your destination, such as a parking lot, on a touch screen. Then leave the driving to the machine, which glides on rails at speeds of 25 mph. A bonus perk: The pods are battery powered, so they don't spew out environmentally destructive exhaust. Improved design of coach seats Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific Airways has reinvented the economy-class seat: As the seat reclines, the bottom slides forward, but the back stays in place. So the passenger sitting behind doesn't have to endure a seat hovering inches from his or her chin. The new seats are especially welcome on long-distance hauls -- which happen to be routes Cathay Pacific flies regularly. American Airlines is among the other carriers reportedly interested in installing similar, slide-forward seats. In-cabin mood lighting Poor cabin lighting on a long flight may worsen jet lag. For instance, exposure to bright light at an hour when you are ordinarily asleep can confuse your body's internal clock. But smart cabin lighting may actually help your body adjust to a new time zone -- and beat back jet lag. Virgin America has an in-cabin lighting system that subtly shifts through 12 shades of violet, including a welcoming, bright blue-purple during the day, a softer violet hue after dusk, and a deep, calming near-black on red-eyes when it's time to sleep. Elsewhere in the world, Air Canada, Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines, and Thai Airways offer mood lighting on many long-haul flights. Luggage check before you get to the airport Schlepping your bags isn't fun. It's also not necessary -- at least not in the many capital cities where you can drop checked luggage at bus or train stations and forget about it until you land at your destination. Many passengers can check bags at London's Paddington station (for Heathrow flights), Vienna's Wien Mitte station, Moscow's Kievsky Station, and Hong Kong Station. In the U.S., the best advance luggage-check option is at Walt Disney World: Guests staying at Disney lodging can check bags at their hotel before hopping on the free Magical Express ride to the Orlando airport. Paperless boarding passes Boarding passes printed on flimsy paper seem almost as outdated as paper airline tickets. Now, cell phone check-in is allowed at many airports, such as Chicago O'Hare and Los Angeles's LAX. Punch in your phone number at check-in and a bar code appears on your phone via e-mail or text message. Security officers and gate agents scan your phone's screen, making for an entirely paperless process. Some airlines, including American, Continental, and Delta (plus its sister unit, Northwest), plan to adopt the new technology at every airport gate nationwide. More power --sockets -- for the people Sometimes it's the simple things that count. Virgin America not only became the first airline to offer Wi-Fi on every flight, but it did so in an especially sensible way, with standard sockets (no adapter necessary) at every seat on the plane. Because while Wi-Fi is nice (even when there's a fee for it), it's even nicer to know that you won't run out of juice in the middle of a flight. Sockets obviously work with portable DVD players and cell phone chargers, too. Replacements for outmoded radar-tracking systems Radar is outdated. Locating a plane's position can take up to half

18 driverless pods are being tested at London Heathrow's Terminal 5 . Virgin America has in-cabin lighting that subtly shifts throughout the day . A GPS-based air traffic control system is in trial use by Alaska Airlines .

(Budget Travel) -- Just a two-hour detour from Paris, the Loire was once a playground to Renaissance royals. Now its vaunted châteaux are attracting enterprising young couples and artists who have remade them into captivating -- and surprisingly affordable -- inns. Surrounded by 10-foot-high limestone walls, Le Clos d'Amboise offers an unexpected sanctuary in the town of Amboise. CHINON Hôtel Diderot "If you've never eaten a brioche with fresh Ste. Maure goat cheese, honey and walnuts for breakfast, then you haven't been to the Loire," says Laurent Dutheil, who is justifiably proud of the simple breakfasts he serves at his 23-room hotel in the western corner of the valley. Dutheil also produces dozens of fragrant artisanal jams such as apple-lavender and quince-cinnamon. (Sadly, they aren't for sale, but you can buy Dutheil's recipe book, "Jam in the Cupboard.") The traditional foods fit well with the hotel's venerable atmosphere: Diderot is housed in a sprawling 15th-century home that the Chinon-born Dutheil, along with his two sisters, Martine and Francoise, bought and renovated six years ago. Budget Travel: See the hotels Dutheil tackled structural issues, taking care to keep the exposed oak beams and original stone walls intact, while his sisters refurbished the rooms with cheerful striped wallpaper, toile bedding, and 19th-century armoires they scavenged on trips to Paris. The largest room, which sleeps four, has double windows with views of a courtyard. In the distance lie vineyards full of the red Chinon grapes much loved by 16th-century novelist and satirist François Rabelais. 4 rue de Buffon, 011-33/2-47-93-18-87, hoteldiderot.com, rooms from $72. THÉSÉE Le Moulin de la Renne A tunnel of towering fir trees leads to the entrance of this converted 19th-century mill in Thésée, on the banks of the Cher River. Guests are greeted by an enormous Bernese mountain dog named Alpha and his equally friendly owners, Véronique and Christophe Villanfin. There are 13 guest rooms, decorated with items such as embroidered quilts and framed puzzles of boats assembled by jigsaw fanatic Véronique. Jazz enthusiasts, the Villanfins host occasional concerts featuring local groups, including Les Bras'Coeurs, a quartet that performs Georges Brassens standards. The soirees are held in the restaurant, known locally for its coq au vin: rooster stewed in cabernet bottled at Le Chai des Varennes winery next door. 11 route de Vierzon, 011-33/2-54-71-41-56, moulindelarenne.com, closed Jan. 10--Feb. 10 and 10 days in Nov., rooms from $76, entrées from $15.75. CIVRAY-DE-TOURAINE Château de l'Isle The Château de l'Isle is quiet to the core -- unless you count the chorus of quacks coming from the duck pond on the 35-acre grounds. The 18th-century manor house had been abandoned for 10 years when Denis Gandon bought it in 1986 and transformed the place into a 12-room hotel. Still, the château somehow feels like a private home: A portrait of Gandon's grandfather hangs over a 100-year-old antique table in the dining area, and an amiable Jack Russell terrier entertains guests with endless rounds of fetch. The stylish bedrooms have exposed wood beams and beds draped with coverlets in shades of crimson and marigold. Budget Travel: See the hotels In the summer, breakfast is served in an expansive glassed-in terrace overlooking the garden. A nearby potager (or kitchen garden) supplies produce for some of chef Fabrice Cherioux's breakfast treats, such as a zesty tomato confiture. 1 rue de l'Ecluse, 011-33/2-47-23-63-60, chateau-de-lisle.com, rooms from $69, breakfast $13. CHENONCEAUX La Roseraie This 18-room hotel in Chenonceaux was a must-stay on the itineraries of political notables after World War II, when the Allies were trying to figure out how to piece Europe back together. Winston Churchill, Harry Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt all, at one time or another, laid their heads at La Roseraie.

Hotel Diderot in Chinon is housed in a sprawling 15th-century home . The 18-room La Roseraie is a five-minute walk from Château de Chenonceau . Auberge du Centre in Chitenay has 26 brightly decorated rooms .

(Budget Travel) -- Just a two-hour detour from Paris, the Loire was once a playground to Renaissance royals. Now its vaunted châteaux are attracting enterprising young couples and artists who have remade them into captivating -- and surprisingly affordable -- inns. Surrounded by 10-foot-high limestone walls, Le Clos d'Amboise offers an unexpected sanctuary in the town of Amboise. CHINON Hôtel Diderot "If you've never eaten a brioche with fresh Ste. Maure goat cheese, honey and walnuts for breakfast, then you haven't been to the Loire," says Laurent Dutheil, who is justifiably proud of the simple breakfasts he serves at his 23-room hotel in the western corner of the valley. Dutheil also produces dozens of fragrant artisanal jams such as apple-lavender and quince-cinnamon. (Sadly, they aren't for sale, but you can buy Dutheil's recipe book, "Jam in the Cupboard.") The traditional foods fit well with the hotel's venerable atmosphere: Diderot is housed in a sprawling 15th-century home that the Chinon-born Dutheil, along with his two sisters, Martine and Francoise, bought and renovated six years ago. Budget Travel: See the hotels Dutheil tackled structural issues, taking care to keep the exposed oak beams and original stone walls intact, while his sisters refurbished the rooms with cheerful striped wallpaper, toile bedding, and 19th-century armoires they scavenged on trips to Paris. The largest room, which sleeps four, has double windows with views of a courtyard. In the distance lie vineyards full of the red Chinon grapes much loved by 16th-century novelist and satirist François Rabelais. 4 rue de Buffon, 011-33/2-47-93-18-87, hoteldiderot.com, rooms from $72. THÉSÉE Le Moulin de la Renne A tunnel of towering fir trees leads to the entrance of this converted 19th-century mill in Thésée, on the banks of the Cher River. Guests are greeted by an enormous Bernese mountain dog named Alpha and his equally friendly owners, Véronique and Christophe Villanfin. There are 13 guest rooms, decorated with items such as embroidered quilts and framed puzzles of boats assembled by jigsaw fanatic Véronique. Jazz enthusiasts, the Villanfins host occasional concerts featuring local groups, including Les Bras'Coeurs, a quartet that performs Georges Brassens standards. The soirees are held in the restaurant, known locally for its coq au vin: rooster stewed in cabernet bottled at Le Chai des Varennes winery next door. 11 route de Vierzon, 011-33/2-54-71-41-56, moulindelarenne.com, closed Jan. 10--Feb. 10 and 10 days in Nov., rooms from $76, entrées from $15.75. CIVRAY-DE-TOURAINE Château de l'Isle The Château de l'Isle is quiet to the core -- unless you count the chorus of quacks coming from the duck pond on the 35-acre grounds. The 18th-century manor house had been abandoned for 10 years when Denis Gandon bought it in 1986 and transformed the place into a 12-room hotel. Still, the château somehow feels like a private home: A portrait of Gandon's grandfather hangs over a 100-year-old antique table in the dining area, and an amiable Jack Russell terrier entertains guests with endless rounds of fetch. The stylish bedrooms have exposed wood beams and beds draped with coverlets in shades of crimson and marigold. Budget Travel: See the hotels In the summer, breakfast is served in an expansive glassed-in terrace overlooking the garden. A nearby potager (or kitchen garden) supplies produce for some of chef Fabrice Cherioux's breakfast treats, such as a zesty tomato confiture. 1 rue de l'Ecluse, 011-33/2-47-23-63-60, chateau-de-lisle.com, rooms from $69, breakfast $13. CHENONCEAUX La Roseraie This 18-room hotel in Chenonceaux was a must-stay on the itineraries of political notables after World War II, when the Allies were trying to figure out how to piece Europe back together. Winston Churchill, Harry Truman and Eleanor Roosevelt all, at one time or another, laid their heads at La Roseraie.

Hotel Diderot in Chinon is housed in a sprawling 15th-century home . The 18-room La Roseraie is a five-minute walk from Château de Chenonceau . Auberge du Centre in Chitenay has 26 brightly decorated rooms .

(Budget Travel) -- Last October, more than 40 people followed signs depicting a skull and crossbones, with a knife and fork in place of the bones, to a secluded Bavarian-style hunting lodge 30 minutes north of St. Louis. An Entre dinner party was hosted in a Missouri hunting lodge. The attendees didn't have any idea where they were headed or what to expect. All they knew was that they were in for a five-course meal courtesy of John-Jack, an undercover chef who'd invited each of them via a top-secret e-mail to the latest of what he calls his Entre dinner parties. Guests arrived to a bluegrass band jamming in a room decorated with deer antlers. As a fire crackled in the massive stone fireplace, they dined on wild-elk medallions, home-cured bacon, grapefruit confit, and butternut squash ice cream -- and toasted their good fortune with pumpkin ale from nearby microbrewery Schlafly. Welcome to the world of underground supper clubs. Getting a reservation requires a little detective work, but once in, you may never go back to eating out the old-school way again. The idea behind these dinners is to let talented chefs work their whisks in an affordable, relaxed setting. And since they're often operating out of their own kitchens, without a license to serve the public, these cooks have to keep the locales, and their own identities, under wraps. Budget Travel: The utterly random dinner party "The trend started in food-centric cities like San Francisco, but in the last year, groups have been popping up across the country," says Jenn Garbee, author of "Secret Suppers," which spotlights some of the more than 80 clubs now up and running in the U.S. One such is Guerrilla Cuisine, founded by an incognito cook in Charleston, South Carolina, who uses the alias Jimihatt and wears a ninja mask at his gatherings. As at many clubs, diners must submit their reservations weeks in advance on Jimihatt's Web site and then wait for an e-mail with directions to the hush-hush locale. Based on his track record, you won't be disappointed: The bearded Jimihatt and his rotating crew of sous-chefs have served secret, Southern-style suppers (andouille sausage gumbo, Cajun smoked chicken, chocolate beignets) in galleries, wineries, even a grocery store. Budget Travel: Haute diners Jimihatt now has a little friendly competition from an Atlanta cook named Lady Rogue. Her RogueApron shindigs each have a different theme. At a recent event, a Great Depression-style repast in Lang-Carson Park, guests stood in a soup line for pancetta minestrone with porcini mushrooms, and lemongrass-spiked corn broth. Then they divided into teams for an impromptu game of Wiffle ball. "Our goal," Lady Rogue says, "is to make dining more inclusive and to have strangers connect over food. What better way to meet people?" For those hoping to break bread with their own buddies, there's 12B in Vancouver. To keep operations simple, its mastermind, Chef Todd, hosts the six-course dinners in his own apartment, hence the name. And unlike most supper clubs, 12B cooks only for groups of friends (up to 12 at a time). Budget Travel: Pay-what-you-like restaurants "Even after working 16-hour days, I would sit at home and think, 'I've got to find a way to feed more people,'" Chef Todd says. Money isn't the incentive. His minimum-donation fee of $50 just covers costs for a feast (stuffed artichoke hearts, five-mushroom ravioli, butter-poached scallops served with BBQ pulled pork) that would average twice as much in a restaurant. But as Chef Todd will attest, these clubs are less about saving and more about spending a night eating exceptionally well in the unlikeliest of places, whether a cozy lodge straight out of a fairy tale or a humble living room. Supper Clubs Entre, St. Louis, Missouri, http://danssouslaterre.com/

Underground supper clubs started in food-centric cities like San Francisco . Now there are more than 80 clubs up and running in the U.S. Chefs operating out of their own kitchens without licenses to serve the public . They have to keep the locales, and their own identities, under wraps .

(Budget Travel) -- Last October, more than 40 people followed signs depicting a skull and crossbones, with a knife and fork in place of the bones, to a secluded Bavarian-style hunting lodge 30 minutes north of St. Louis. An Entre dinner party was hosted in a Missouri hunting lodge. The attendees didn't have any idea where they were headed or what to expect. All they knew was that they were in for a five-course meal courtesy of John-Jack, an undercover chef who'd invited each of them via a top-secret e-mail to the latest of what he calls his Entre dinner parties. Guests arrived to a bluegrass band jamming in a room decorated with deer antlers. As a fire crackled in the massive stone fireplace, they dined on wild-elk medallions, home-cured bacon, grapefruit confit, and butternut squash ice cream -- and toasted their good fortune with pumpkin ale from nearby microbrewery Schlafly. Welcome to the world of underground supper clubs. Getting a reservation requires a little detective work, but once in, you may never go back to eating out the old-school way again. The idea behind these dinners is to let talented chefs work their whisks in an affordable, relaxed setting. And since they're often operating out of their own kitchens, without a license to serve the public, these cooks have to keep the locales, and their own identities, under wraps. Budget Travel: The utterly random dinner party "The trend started in food-centric cities like San Francisco, but in the last year, groups have been popping up across the country," says Jenn Garbee, author of "Secret Suppers," which spotlights some of the more than 80 clubs now up and running in the U.S. One such is Guerrilla Cuisine, founded by an incognito cook in Charleston, South Carolina, who uses the alias Jimihatt and wears a ninja mask at his gatherings. As at many clubs, diners must submit their reservations weeks in advance on Jimihatt's Web site and then wait for an e-mail with directions to the hush-hush locale. Based on his track record, you won't be disappointed: The bearded Jimihatt and his rotating crew of sous-chefs have served secret, Southern-style suppers (andouille sausage gumbo, Cajun smoked chicken, chocolate beignets) in galleries, wineries, even a grocery store. Budget Travel: Haute diners Jimihatt now has a little friendly competition from an Atlanta cook named Lady Rogue. Her RogueApron shindigs each have a different theme. At a recent event, a Great Depression-style repast in Lang-Carson Park, guests stood in a soup line for pancetta minestrone with porcini mushrooms, and lemongrass-spiked corn broth. Then they divided into teams for an impromptu game of Wiffle ball. "Our goal," Lady Rogue says, "is to make dining more inclusive and to have strangers connect over food. What better way to meet people?" For those hoping to break bread with their own buddies, there's 12B in Vancouver. To keep operations simple, its mastermind, Chef Todd, hosts the six-course dinners in his own apartment, hence the name. And unlike most supper clubs, 12B cooks only for groups of friends (up to 12 at a time). Budget Travel: Pay-what-you-like restaurants "Even after working 16-hour days, I would sit at home and think, 'I've got to find a way to feed more people,'" Chef Todd says. Money isn't the incentive. His minimum-donation fee of $50 just covers costs for a feast (stuffed artichoke hearts, five-mushroom ravioli, butter-poached scallops served with BBQ pulled pork) that would average twice as much in a restaurant. But as Chef Todd will attest, these clubs are less about saving and more about spending a night eating exceptionally well in the unlikeliest of places, whether a cozy lodge straight out of a fairy tale or a humble living room. Supper Clubs Entre, St. Louis, Missouri, http://danssouslaterre.com/

Underground supper clubs started in food-centric cities like San Francisco . Now there are more than 80 clubs up and running in the U.S. Chefs operating out of their own kitchens without licenses to serve the public . They have to keep the locales, and their own identities, under wraps .

(Budget Travel) -- On your next trip, you could be checking into a wine cask, a salvaged 727 airplane, or a room where the furniture defies the law of gravity. The casks at the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands once held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine. Upside-down stay At Berlin's Propeller Island City Lodge, each of the 30 rooms is weird in its own way. The artist-owner, Lars Stroschen, has seen to that. One room, the first built, is made to look like a brightly painted medieval town, with an ultra-mini golf course surrounding the castle bed. Another has furniture attached to the ceiling, another has coffins for beds, and still another has lion cages on stilts (the Web site claims that kids "love to sleep" in them). Then there's the Freedom Room, which resembles a prison, complete with a toilet next to the bed -- oh, that German humor! 011-49/30-891-90-16, propeller-island.com. A place to unwine'd When they were owned by a Swiss château, the four enormous casks on the grounds of the Hotel De Vrouwe Van Stavoren in the Netherlands held the equivalent of 19,333 bottles of wine. Now, after some creative recycling, it's guests rather than booze that mellow out inside the casks. The richly worn and airtight oak barrels have two narrow beds, with a small sitting area outside. The grounds are quite close to tiny Stavoren's harbor, which was a major port in the Middle Ages. 011-31/51-46-81-202, hotel-vrouwevanstavoren.nl. A bad trip (with none of the consequences) The daughter of Ho Chi Minh's number two masterminded the Hang Nga Guest House and Art Gallery, a complex that more than earns its local nickname, the Crazy House. This LSD nightmare's three main buildings are Gaudi-esque concrete treehouse-like growths that appear as if they flowed organically out of the ground. Inside, the walls seem to dissolve into the floor, and right angles are avoided entirely. Each guest room is built around a different animal theme: the Eagle Room has a big-beaked bird standing atop a huge egg, while another has arm-sized ants crawling up the wall. The animal theme continues outside -- a large giraffe statue on the property contains a teahouse, and human-size "spider webs" are set up here and there. 011-84/63-82-20-70. Budget Travel: Check out these unusual hotels In a league of its own Hydrophobics should stay far from Jules' Undersea Lodge, named for novelist Jules Verne of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" fame. The 600-square-foot lodge, a former marine lab, is 21 feet underwater, close to the bottom of the mangrove-filled Emerald Lagoon, in Key Largo. You'll have to know how to scuba dive to reach your room, and guests without the mandatory certification must take a course at the hotel. Once you've reached the lodge, which sleeps up to six, you'll be close to angelfish, anemones, barracuda, oysters, and other creatures -- each room is equipped with a 42-inch window, so you don't need to be suited up to keep an eye on the neighborhood. 305/451-2353, jul.com. Crash in a jet plane Near a beach that's within Manuel Antonio National Park, the Hotel Costa Verde doesn't lack for great sights. But few are as amazing as its own 727 Fuselage Suite, a salvaged 1965 Boeing 727-100 that looks as if it's crashed into the Costa Rican jungle (it's actually mounted atop a 50-foot pillar and reached via a spiral staircase). The jet's interior was once able to hold up to 125 passengers, but there are few reminders left of its days in the service of South African Airways and Colombia's Avianca Airlines. The suite's two bedrooms, dining area, and sitting room are now covered over entirely in teak to match the surroundings. Guests can play "spot the toucan" on the small

Guests can mellow out inside wine casks in the Netherlands . A sleek Cape Town, South Africa, hotel has an Airstream trailer park on the roof . A Costa Rica hotel offers stays inside a salvaged airplane .

(Budget Travel) -- Prohibition-style bars and speakeasies have been popping up all over, but these lounges go beyond the gimmicks in their near obsessive devotion to the art of old-time cocktails and decor. The perpetually packed Beehive in Boston is known for its Beehive julep and champagne cocktails. The Edison, Los Angeles, California The 1920s scene at legendary watering holes like the Cocoanut Grove and Ciro's of Hollywood inspired this cavernous lounge, where current industry players mingle in their best vintage cocktail dresses and blazers. The Edison is in the basement of a former power plant; leather furniture surrounds preserved industrial elements like furnaces and power generators. Silent movies play on brick walls, and a circus troupe performs weekly. On Soup Kitchen Fridays, drinks mixed from house-made Bath Tub Gin are 35 cents from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and come with free grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup. edisondowntown.com. The Violet Hour, Chicago, Illinois Luxurious floor-to-ceiling velvet curtains create intimate spaces inside the Violet Hour, discreetly hidden behind an unmarked, wood-paneled door. Circles of high-backed leather chairs and the warm glow from crystal chandeliers and working fireplaces encourage conversation. So does a strict no-cell-phones policy. Eight kinds of ice -- shards, crushed and cubes of varying shapes -- are tailored to specific drinks, which gives an idea of how seriously this bar takes its cocktails. A favorite is the Juliet and Romeo, Beefeater gin with mint, cucumber and rosewater ($12). theviolethour.com. Budget Travel gallery: See the bars APO Bar + Lounge, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Look for the pharmacy cross marking the entrance to APO, short for apothecary -- a place where ingredients like gin and bitters were put to medicinal use way before the cocktail was born. Inside the sleek, green-hued lounge, barkeeps sporting '30s-style suits serve cocktails spruced up with creative, unusual ingredients. The Booty Collins, for instance, is green-tea-infused gin with brandied cherries, passion fruit and homemade seltzer, finished with agave nectar, cayenne pepper and fresh valerian root ($10). The bar recently introduced a simpler recession-proof menu of $6 drinks that lose the exotic accents and just mix fine spirits with fresh fruit juices. apothecarylounge.com. Flatiron Lounge, New York City In a landmark 1900 building in Manhattan's Flatiron District, this lounge evokes jazz-age glamour with velvet bar stools, red circular booths and an entire wall covered in blue vintage mirrored-glass tiles. The anchor is the 1927 mahogany bar salvaged from The Ballroom, where Frank Sinatra partied. Painstakingly crafted drinks range from fresh-fruit-infused cocktails ($13) to daily martini flights -- three mini cocktails with a common theme, such as the Flight Back in Time, featuring a Sazerac, a Sidecar and an Aviation martini ($22). flatironlounge.com. The Beehive, Boston, Massachusetts Named for a Paris café des artistes that once hosted artists Marc Chagall and Amadeo Modigliani, this Moulin Rouge-esque supper club presents jazz, cabaret and burlesque performances on a shimmering stage draped with theatrical red-velvet curtains. At round stage-side tables, diners feast on stick-to-your-ribs comfort food like gravy-smothered poutine. Chandeliers hang among exposed pipes over the perpetually packed bar, known for champagne cocktails and Beehive juleps ($10.50). beehiveboston.com. Velvet Tango Room, Cleveland, Ohio This funky 1800s brick house was a speakeasy during the '20s, and it feels like not much has changed since then, as evidenced by the well-used jazz piano and the secret room hidden behind a two-way mirror. Bartenders measure ingredients on scales to ensure exact proportions go into cocktails ($15) made with throwback mixers like frothy egg whites, fresh-brewed bitters and homemade ginger soda. velvettangoroom.com. Illusions Magic Bar, Baltimore, Maryland With custom-made chandeliers above the cherry wood bar and jazz and swing played on the piano, Illusions gives the impression of being like any other roaring '20s-themed jazz club

The Velvet Tango Room in Cleveland was a speakeasy during the '20s . The Violet Hour in Chicago mixes cocktails with eight kinds of ice . In Boston, The Beehive presents jazz, cabaret and burlesque performances .

(Budget Travel) -- Some of my greatest travel memories are about exploring the local markets -- digging through the goods, chatting with vendors, feeling my way through the nuances of a spirited negotiation. Each time, I walk away with an earful of native lore and insider info -- on top of armfuls of awesome finds. The Springfield Antique Show and Flea Market in Ohio takes place one weekend each month, excluding February and July. Once, I picked up a pair of swingy silver earrings at a market in Uruguay and simultaneously bagged a tip for the best spot to dance to candombe music, something the seller insisted I do while wearing my new purchase. It was just the kind of authentic encounter I'd never have found in a shop on the main drag. Each of these American markets will leave you with that same richness of experience -- as well as heaps of quality souvenirs. Who needs another plastic snow globe, anyway? BRIMFIELD ANTIQUE & FLEA MARKET SHOWS Where & when: Brimfield, Massachusetts; six consecutive days each in mid-May, July and September. What: A local auctioneer, Gordon Reid, started this outdoor market, now the country's largest, on a somewhat humbler stage back in 1959: his own backyard. Now, more than 1 million visitors flood in every year to shop the peerless selection of affordable New England collectibles (weather vanes, decoys and Nantucket baskets) and maritime accoutrements (brass lamps and ships' wheels) spread across more than 20 "fields" on either side of the town's main road, each containing hundreds of vendors. Budget Travel: 20 great flea markets around the world Three of the best fields are Dealer's Choice, known for its quality rustic furniture; Heart-O-The Mart, favored for hobnail glassware and intact grain sacks; and J&J Auction Acres, flush with high-end items like colonial cherrywood chests and convex mirrors. Even the food has a regional bent: Try the generously sized $10 lobster rolls, the fresh-popped kettle corn, and the Pilgrim Sandwich, a supersoft roll layered with roasted turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, and mayo. brimfield.com. Best shot at a bargain: The slower July and September markets may yield better deals than the crowded May outing, which serves as the region's antiquing-season opener. Gigi's find: A portable radio. "I love how [it] is part gadget, part accessory: It swings closed into a ring shape you can carry around like a purse as it plays. I got it years ago at Brimfield for $15." Budget Travel gallery: See these cool flea markets SPRINGFIELD ANTIQUE SHOW & FLEA MARKET Where & when: Springfield, Ohio; one weekend each month, excluding February and July. What: Over the course of its quarter-century run, this busy market held on a county fairground has won a reputation as the heartland's go-to source for all things folky and primitive, such as old metal pails, Shaker boxes, cross-stitched samplers, and calico quilts. Farmhouse antiques, like blanket chests, milk-paint cupboards, and sturdy rocking chairs also figure prominently, as do well-preserved dishware and tabletop items. Budget Travel: How to shop every market like a pro During each year's three supersize Extravaganzas -- in May, June, and September -- the number of vendors swells to more than 2,500, some operating out of cattle barns and poultry houses. Visit the market's online discussion forum to connect with sellers, preview goods, and even post wish lists. springfieldantiqueshow.com. Best shot at a bargain: Go in September, when dealers are trying to liquidate their stock for the winter. BROOKLYN FLEA Where & when: Brooklyn, New York; Saturdays from mid-April through Thanksgiving. What: In less than two years, this sale in a Brooklyn schoolyard has attracted a large enough following to justify a second location and seasonal spin-off events. Shoppers come for the mix of vintage clothing and jewelry, architectural salvage, and decorative objects like modernist table lamps and metal

The next Brimfield market in Massachusetts is September 8 to 13 . Alameda, California, has an antique and flea market the first Sunday of each month . Brooklyn Flea features secondhand goods and wares from local designers .

(Budget Travel) -- Thanks to a vibrant design culture and growing tourism industry, Spain now has some of the best boutique hotels on the continent -- including a recent wave of hotel chains that's making chic accommodations affordable. The real estate boom has been a key factor. Spying the potential, many entrepreneurs snapped up 19th-century residential buildings and converted them. Gat, a trailblazer, operates two hotels in Barcelona's Raval, a multicultural neighborhood just off Las Ramblas. Both feature abstract art, acid green walls, and stylishly minimalist furniture. Book weeks in advance for the Xino (more appealing than sister hotel, the Raval). All its rooms have private baths, and you can admire the city skyline from the rooftop terrace (doubles from €70 ($110)). The Room Mate chain is multiplying rapidly, with branches in Granada, Madrid, Malaga, Oviedo, Salamanca, Valencia and counting. (It first caught our attention last year.) But don't think chain-like conformity. Each property, named after an imagined roommate, has its own personality, as interpreted by a crew of hot young interior designers. In Madrid, book Room Mate Alicia, a cultured, original, and slightly edgy creature, according to the owners. Near major museums, the hotel's light-filled, airy rooms are stylish without going overboard on showy design elements. Ask for one that looks out over Santa Ana, the city's hottest 'hood (doubles from €100 ($157)). Hot is regularly used to describe Madrid these days -- and not just in reference to the climate. Finally stealing some of the limelight from Barcelona, Spain's capital is going through a renaissance in food, design and counterculture. Visiting creative types head for fashionable Chueca and check in to Colors Host, decorated in a chromatic riot of shades. Book rooms 1, 2, 10 or 11 for an enclosed balcony overlooking Calle Fuencarral (doubles from €45 euros ($71)). At the other end of the spectrum, the Analina Rooms offers tastefully modernist brown-and-white interiors and breakfast next door at Maestro Churrero, a café famous for the quintessential Spanish snack, chocolate con churros (doubles from €65 ($102)). Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE - CLICK HERE!

Barcelona's Gat hotels feature abstract art and stylishly minimalist furniture . Room Mate has branches in a handful of Spanish cities . In Madrid, Analina Rooms offers tastefully modernist brown-and-white interiors .

(Budget Travel) -- We've found 15 water parks in your own backyard. Before the dreaded "are we there yet?" echoes from the back seat, you'll be in the parking lot. At Splish Splash in Long Island, New York, the most popular offerings pitch you into darkness. Wilderness Territory Waterpark Resort at Wisconsin Dells Near Madison, Wisconsin (55 miles) The Wilderness Territory's most popular ride is the Hurricane: Riders experience the eye of the storm as they rapidly descend through a four-story funnel. Flashes of lightning, rumbling thunder and drifting fog convey the sense of a full-blown natural disaster. Details: 511 E. Adams St., Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin, 800/867-9453, wildernessresort.com. Kids eat free with adult purchase. Other Wilderness locations: A new, 150-acre Wilderness resort in Sevierville, Tennessee. Other water parks in Wisconsin Dells: Mt. Olympus Water & Theme Park and Noah's Ark. Kalahari Resort, Sandusky, Ohio Near Toledo, Ohio (60 miles) Kalahari doubled the size of the park in December 2007. The highlight is the Swahili Swirl. In a four-person inner tube, you'll be ejected from a steep tube slide into a 60-foot-diameter bowl; it's a dizzying three times around before you're sucked down the drain and dropped into a 50-foot-long landing pool. It's like a really fun toilet bowl. To mellow out, relax under the 40,000-square-foot clear Texlon roof, which houses tropical plants and allows guests to catch sun year-round. Budget Travel: See the parks Details: 7000 Kalahari Dr., Sandusky, 877/525-2427, kalahariresort.com. Look for "Beat the Clock" lodging specials on the Web site. Other Kalahari locations: Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. And a new water-park resort is under development in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Geauga Lake's Wildwater Kingdom, Geauga Lake, Ohio Near Cleveland, Ohio (25 miles) Older children and teens flock to the 60-foot-tall, 253-foot-long Liquid Lightning tornado slide. The ride launches you -- at speeds of up to 24 mph -- from a tube slide into a giant funnel, before spitting you into the calm waters of the finishing pool. Tamer settings include the Splash Landing family activity center, with waterslides, soaker hoses, bubbling geysers and a raining umbrella, and Coral Cove, an activity pool with three basketball hoops and huge climbable animals. Details: 1100 Squires Rd., Aurora, Ohio, 330/562-8303, wildwaterfun.com. Aquatica by SeaWorld, Orlando, Florida Near Tampa, Florida (85 miles) The signature experience here is the Dolphin Plunge, 250 feet of clear underwater tubes that plunge riders into a lagoon populated by charismatic black-and-white Commerson's dolphins. For a split second, you'll feel as if you're swimming with them. Aquatica's attractions include something for everyone: 36 slides, six rivers and lagoons and more than 80,000 square feet of white-sand beaches. Details: 5800 Water Play Way, Orlando, 888/800-5447, aquaticabyseaworld.com. Daytona Lagoon, Daytona Beach, Florida Near Orlando, Florida (55 miles) Daytona Lagoon's most hair-raising experience is Blackbeard's Revenge. After you climb the 62-foot tower and mount an inner tube, you'll take a 15 mph, six-story tumble down a twisting, pitch-black tunnel slide. Don't miss the brand-new Kraken's Conquest, either: It's a four-lane, 55-foot-long ProRacer-series speed slide. Friends and families can challenge each other to high-speed, watery showdowns. Details: 601 Earl St., Daytona Beach, 386/254-5020, daytonalagoon.com. The park offers a different special each day; for example, every Thursday you can get unlimited use of miniature golf, the carousel, and the rock-climbing wall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for $10. Splash Island at Cypress Gardens, Winter Haven, Florida Near St. Petersburg, Florida (74 miles) At the interactive water-play area, the towering Tikki Head --

Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, Ohio, doubled the size of the park in 2007 . At Water World in Denver visitors can hop onto inner tubes and journey into the dark . The Cliff Diver at Splish Splash in Long Island will drop daredevils eight stories .

(Budget Travel) -- When you have beach on the brain, who wants to bother with a layover? Budget Travel has prepared the ultimate insider's guide to seven resort towns south of the border that are just one quick flight away. The Pacific-coast resort of Puerto Vallarta has attracted artists in recent years with its natural beauty and well-preserved colonial architecture. MAZATLÁN As resort towns go, Mazatlán is one of Mexico's prettiest, with an assortment of 19th-century neoclassical, republican, and French baroque buildings in pastel colors. The best place for wandering is Old Mazatlán, particularly the tree-lined streets around Plazuela Machado, where guitarists and singers roam from one sidewalk café to the next. Eat Sample traditional Sinaloan dishes at Pedro & Lola, a restaurant with seating on the square that's known for its Mexican Molcajete, grilled beef served with cactus and onions (011-52/669-982-2589, restaurantpedroylola.com, beef $14). Drink On nearby Belisario Domínguez street, locals gather nightly for tequila and Pacifico beers at La Tertulia, a bullfighting-themed bar that's owned and staffed by actual bullfighters and has posters, costumes, and pictures of the sport's greats all over the walls (no phone, tequila from $2). BudgetTravel.com: Find a nonstop route to Mexico Stay Among the hotel options in the area, the 72-room Best Western Posada Freeman Express has the most character -- it's in a renovated 1940s high-rise and has a rooftop pool with spectacular views of the Pacific Ocean (011-52/669-985-6060, book.bestwestern.com, from $80). Detour To lose the crowds, jump on one of Aqua Sport Center's boats to tiny, uninhabited Deer Island just off the coast. It has a white-sand beach, trails for hiking, and clear waters that are perfect for snorkeling (011-52/669-913-3333, $12). IXTAPA-ZIHUATANEJO The twin cities of Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo are separated by just three miles, but despite that proximity, they don't have a lot in common. Zihuatanejo, which dates back to precolonial times, is a relaxed fishing town set on an enclosed bay with not a single high-rise hotel. Stay The 30 rooms at the Hotel Brisas del Mar are accented with Mexican tiles and have hammocks on the balconies (011-52/755-554-2142, hotelbrisasdelmar.com, from $102). Ixtapa, in contrast, was built 36 years ago as part of a government effort to spur tourism development on the coast. Today, it has a gleaming strip of beachfront hotels, manicured lawns, and a wide range of restaurants, from local spots to large Mexican chains. Eat El Arbolito serves fresh seafood dishes, such as camaronillas -- shrimp and cheese in a fried tortilla -- and creative cocktails like the Black Banana, a mixture of Kahlua, coconut liqueur, and orange juice (011-52/755-553-3700, entrées from $8). Drink At Barceló Ixtapa Beach Hotel's Sanca Bar, bands play salsa and Cuban music on weekend nights (011-52/755-555-2000, barcelo.com, beer from $3). Do Ixtapa has no shortage of beaches, but if you're in the mood for something more active, rent a bike at Xplora Adventours (011-52/755-553-3584, $3 per half hour) and take a ride through Parque Ecológico Aztlán, a forest teeming with native birds, turtles, and iguanas. BudgetTravel.com: Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo photos ACAPULCO Acapulco got its glamorous start in the 1950s and '60s, when celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, and Judy Garland turned the exclusive hotels on the rugged cliffs over the bay into their playground. Drink One of these spots, the 78-year-old Hotel el Mirador, is the place to go for a quintessential Acapulco experience: Watching cliff divers plunge 130 feet into the bay while having a watermelon daiquiri on the patio at the on-site La Perla bar (011-52/744-483-1155, hotelelmiradoracapulco.com.mx, $24 drink minimum). For another

The island of Cozumel, 11 miles off the Yucatán coast, is a diving hot spot . Puerto Vallarta has attracted painters, sculptors and other artisans in recent years . Los Cabos, on the tip of Baja California, has one of Mexico's most dramatic settings .

(Budget Travel) -- With rates as low as $36, these flashy new European hotels take the convenience of the pod concept and expand it with style. Qbic hotels have a clever lighting concept -- Deep Purple Love, anyone? You can pick the color you like, or turn them off altogether. YOTEL Where: Inside terminals at London's Gatwick and Heathrow airports (in Terminal 4), and Amsterdam's Schiphol airport. The concept: Catering to those with a long layover, these glossy, no-nonsense capsule hotels are small but convenient for business travelers -- or someone just looking for a nap and a shower. What you get: A windowless room (about 75 square feet) that looks like a cruise ship cabin -- there's a shower, a TV, a fold-out work desk and an overhead storage rack; Wi-Fi is free. Bonus: a 24-hour room-service menu of snacks and drinks delivered within 15 minutes. What it'll cost: There's a four-hour minimum, which costs about $36 for a standard cabin in the London locations. After that, pay by the hour (about $10). Premium cabins are probably better for shares -- those start at $57 for four hours. yotel.com. QBIC Where: Antwerp, Belgium; Maastricht and Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The concept: A completely self-service hotel. You check yourself in at the kiosk and buy everything with your hotel key card. What you get: In the center of each room is a Cubi, a 75-square-foot enclosed platform for the bed, a bar-like work-and-dine space and the bathroom. The lighting is at your discretion -- Mellow Yellow, Deep Purple Love -- it's all pretty club-like. There's a vending machine in the lobby filled with drinks, locally made snacks such as organic bread and things you may have forgotten -- like neckties. What it'll cost: From $91. qbichotels.com. CITIZENM Where: Near Amsterdam's Schiphol airport and in central Amsterdam's posh Zuid neighborhood, which started taking guests this April. The concept: Keeping prices down by using prefabricated everything -- the 150-square-foot rooms are built in a factory, stacked up and then shot through with plumbing and electrical wiring. Budget Travel wrote about citizenM in a February 2009 story on boutique hostels. Budget Travel: See photos of the boutique hostels What you get: Only single-bed rooms are offered, each with an ultramodern cylindrical shower. Use a control panel (called a moodpad) to manage the room temperature, blinds, alarm clock, stereo and lighting -- there are clever choices like "I'm here to party," with intense colored lighting and dance music. There's also a 24-hour self-service cafeteria; if you're craving a martini, a bartender is on duty in the evenings. What it'll cost: From $109. citizenm.com. EXPANSION PLANS All three of these mini chains have plans to expand -- some more than others. CitizenM will open a third hotel in Glasgow, Scotland, in 2009, and plans to expand into London and New York City in the next five years. Yotel will open in London and then at all major airport hubs in Europe and the U.S., but there are no fixed dates. Qbic hopes to pursue a franchise model -- if you (really) like what you see, apply to be a franchise-owner on the Web site. Get the best travel deals and tips emailed to you FREE - CLICK HERE! Copyright © 2009 Newsweek Budget Travel, Inc., all rights reserved. Note: This story was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

Pay just $36 for four hours in one of Yotel's London locations . At Qbic hotels, colorful lighting schemes give the rooms a club-like feel . CitizenM rooms feature an ultramodern cylindrical shower .

(CNET) -- Amazon plans to unveil a thinner Kindle with a sharper picture in August, according to a Bloomberg News report on Saturday citing anonymous sources. Two people familiar with the online retailer's plans told Bloomberg the next-generation e-book reader will not have a touch screen or color, but the display will be sharper and more responsive. Earlier this week at Amazon's annual shareholder meeting in Seattle, CEO Jeff Bezos said a Kindle with a color reflective screen is still a ways off. A story in The Wall Street Journal on the meeting quoted Bezos as saying he had "seen several things in the laboratory, but they are not quite ready for production." The New York Times reported in February that Amazon had bought Touchco, a New York start-up developing flexible multitouch panels. That led to speculation that the e-tailer was planning an answer to the iPad, Apple's tablet device. Bezos said Tuesday that Amazon intends to keep the Kindle focused on what it has always been -- a reading device. CNET e-mailed Amazon on Saturday afternoon seeking a comment on the Bloomberg report. Bloomberg said a call to an Amazon representative was not returned. On Thursday, Sony announced it is releasing its Reader -- which launched in the U.S. in 2006 -- in several new countries this year, including Japan, China, and Australia. Also on Thursday, Marvell said it's teaming up with the One Laptop Per Child foundation to create an inexpensive tablet, which they plan to show off at CES next year. © 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. CNET, CNET.com and the CNET logo are registered trademarks of CBS Interactive Inc. Used by permission.

Amazon plans to unveil a thinner Kindle with a sharper picture in August . Sources say e-book reader will not have a touch screen or color . CEO Jeff Bezos says a Kindle with a color reflective screen is still a ways of .

(CNET) -- At a hacker conference no one is safe. Demographic of Defcon conference for hackers is older, wiser and employed. When I first went to Defcon in 1995, the halls were mobbed with teenagers and attendees seemed more concerned with freeing Kevin Mitnick and seeing strippers than hacking each others' computers. Jump forward to Defcon 17 this year, which was held over the weekend in Las Vegas, things certainly have changed. The attendees are older and wiser and employed, most of the feds aren't in stealth mode, and even the most savvy of hackers is justifiably paranoid. "Welcome to the hacker world," said Defcon founder Jeff Moss. The evolving demographic of Defcon attendees shows that the hacker community, like all of us, is aging. But it's also a reflection of how the threat landscape has changed. Web site defacements have given way to much more serious risks like financial fraud and unaddressed critical infrastructure weaknesses. It's a cornucopia of phishing e-mails, cross-site scripting attacks that poke holes in trusted Web sites, and criminals harvesting credit card numbers and selling them on the underground equivalent of eBay with guarantees of service and support. Defcon and Black Hat, the pricier and more corporate sister confab held the two days preceding Defcon ($120 for Defcon registration versus $1,395 to $2,095 for phased registration at Black Hat), offer a forum for researchers to share information about vulnerabilities they find in software, hardware and systems. Targeted this year were everything from the iPhone and surveillance video feeds to e-parking meters and security underlying the Domain Name System. Vendors and users weren't the only ones who need worry. Attendees had plenty to fear and security experts themselves weren't spared. On July 27, Web sites belonging to a handful of security researchers and groups were hacked and passwords, private e-mails, IM chats, and potentially sensitive documents were exposed on the vandalized site of security golden boy Dan Kaminsky. (Mitnick, whose jailing in the '90s for computer crimes made him a cause celebre at "Free Kevin" benefits at Defcon at the time, was among those attacked.) There were more widespread threats at the shows, too. Anyone using the Wi-Fi networks at the events had better be careful lest they get their password sniffed and posted on the Wall of Sheep. Then there was the USB thumb drive that was passed around among attendees of Black Hat that was found to be infected with the Conficker virus. Reporters who aren't nearly as geeky as the sources they interview are always easy prey. One reporter was concerned about being hacked via the local area network in the press room after a rare Blue Screen of Death crashed his laptop. Last year, three French men were expelled for sniffing the press room LAN at Black Hat. They said they had obtained eWeek's and CNET's passwords but failed to prove the CNET allegation. This year, three South Koreans registered as press were ejected for asking questions that led organizers to believe were on an intelligence-gathering mission instead of merely reporting, according to the IDG News Service. I had a panic of my own at Defcon this year. I was connected to the Internet using an EVDO wireless card and a virtual private network and was startled a short while later when a Web page opened up out of the blue and I noticed the VPN was disconnected. Granted it looked like a legitimate page for my wireless carrier, but not wanting to take any chances I immediately logged off. (See "Defcon: What to leave at home and other do's and don'ts" for tips on how to best protect yourself.) Unfortunately, I had neglected to disable the Wi-Fi on the laptop. Because Windows XP event logging is lacking, it's not clear whether someone may have spoofed the name of a wireless network the laptop is configured to automatically connect to. Time to call the help desk. At least I didn't use any automatic teller machines at the hotel. Defcon organizers confirmed on Monday that a fake ATM was discovered

Defcon is a forum to share info on vulnerabilities in software and hardware . Attendees worried about using Wi-Fi for fear of passwords being stolen . Fake ATM was spotted in hotel with a PC inside it . Thumb drive with virus was passed around at conference .

(CNET) -- When Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg recently announced a "Like" button that publishers could place on their Web pages, he predicted it would make the Web smarter and "more social." What Zuckerberg didn't point out is that widespread use of the Like button allows Facebook to track people as they switch from CNN.com to Yelp.com to ESPN.com, all of which are sites that have said they will implement the feature. Even if someone is not a Facebook user or is not logged in, Facebook's social plugins collect the address of the Web page being visited and the Internet address of the visitor as soon as the page is loaded -- clicking on the Like button is not required. If enough sites participate, that permits Facebook to assemble a vast amount of data about Internet users' browsing habits. "If you put a Like button on your site, you're potentially selling out your users' privacy even if they never press that button," says Nicole Ozer, an attorney with the ACLU of Northern California. "It's another example of why user control needs to be the default in Facebook." In the last few months, scrutiny of the privacy practices of the Internet's second most popular Web site has reached an all-time high, with politicians threatening probes and privacy activists calling for formal investigations. In response to the outcry, Zuckerberg convened a press conference last week at Facebook's Palo Alto, California, headquarters, where he pledged to make privacy "simpler." For its part, Facebook told CNET on Tuesday that the information about who viewed what pages with a Like button is anonymized after three months and is not shared with or sold to third parties. A representative acknowledged, however, that the current privacy description of Facebook's social plugins "is not as clear as it could be, and we'll fix that." Facebook's FAQ says: "No data is shared about you when you see a social plugin on an external website." No mention of this data-sharing appears under the "Information from other websites" section of the company's general privacy policy. Publishers like "Like" Almost as soon as Zuckerberg had finished describing the Like buttons at the F8 developer conference in April, they became a hit with Web publishers hoping for a traffic boost. Wired's Webmonkey.com published a tutorial, a WordPress adaptation appeared, and Foursquare quickly incorporated the concept too. Facebook itself confirmed that after only a week, "more than 50,000 sites across the Web have implemented" social plugins. SearchEngineLand.com said Like buttons are "recommended" for virtually all Web sites; one blogging how-to guide reported that "small, blue Like buttons are now multiplying across the Web faster than you can say 'pandemic.'" Marc Rotenberg, director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, said that if his group had been aware of how the Like button was implemented, it would have raised this topic in a request for a Federal Trade Commission investigation of Facebook's privacy practices. (The statement sent to the FTC says, in part, that social plugins "violate user expectations and reveal user information without the user's consent.") "The recent Facebook changes are too complex and too subtle for most users to meaningfully evaluate," Rotenberg said. "And it's not obvious that the recent announcement from Facebook has addressed all of these problems." On the other hand, some of the Like button's features can work only if Facebook receives the user ID and URL of the Web page being visited. That allows a custom bit of Javascript code to customize the Like button. Social plugins "work the same basic way all widgets across the Internet do," said Barry Schnitt, a Facebook spokesman. "The URL of the Web page the user is viewing must be sent to Facebook for Facebook to know where to render the personalized content." Schnitt said Facebook does not correlate pages viewed with advertising, so someone who spends a lot of time reading articles about German sports cars on caranddriver.com will not receive Porsche 911

Like button allows Facebook to track people as they switch websites . Facebook's social plugins collect the address of the Web page being visited . More than 50,000 sites across the Web have implemented social plugins .

(CNET) -- A post on the Facebook developer blog announces the big application program interface (API) update from the social network that was first reported on Sunday night, which it's calling the Open Stream API. The "Open Stream API" was front-and-center with Facebook's controversial redesign earlier this year. It's the first major implementation of an emerging (read: brand new) open standard called Activity Streams, on which Facebook has been collaborating with developers for the past few months. Basically, what it means is that third-party developers will have access to a feed of all content posted to news feeds--notes, photos, videos, links, "likes" and comments, and activity from other applications built on the social network's platform. "We've officially moved away from the Web of just blog posts, which a lot of these formats were originally designed for," said open-source developer and advocate Chris Messina, who has been spearheading the development of Activity Streams for about a year now. "Over time, what I think will happen is (that) you'll see something toward the type of cleverness and ingenuity that has surfaced around the Twitter community, but in a way that is even more expressive and rich," Messina said. "In the case of Twitter, you're just talking about status updates; in the case of Facebook you're talking about a lot of different activities." Previously, only status updates--the most Twitter-like part of Facebook--were accessible to developers. That's why this announcement likely makes the biggest difference to the creators of social feed aggregation applications like TweetDeck and Seesmic Desktop. But because Activity Streams is an open standard, other social-networking and media-sharing applications will be able to use it too. This means that there could be, say, an Adobe Air-based desktop application that brings in updates across photo-sharing applications like Facebook, Flickr, and Photobucket. Facebook is also targeting different types of developers -- specifically mobile and desktop -- rather than strictly the Web app developers whose creations made Facebook's platform such a wild success when it debuted two years ago. "One of the most important stories to tell here is this is the first time that we've ever opened the core Facebook product experience, which was previously called the 'feed' and which we're now calling the 'stream,'" Facebook senior platform manager Dave Morin explained to CNET News. "We're especially excited to see the types of desktop applications and the types of mobile applications which developer are going to build for the stream. We've sort of never really allowed this before, so we're pretty excited to see what developers come up with." Facebook will be holding an event on Monday afternoon in Palo Alto, California, to introduce developers to the new API. Presenting at the event will be representatives from Adobe, which is building a Facebook application in its Air runtime environment, and Microsoft, which is doing the same in Silverlight; contact management system Plaxo and third-party app Seesmic Desktop (which already has unveiled its support for the Open Stream) are also presenting. The "stream" took front-and-center with Facebook's controversial redesign earlier this year. Inspired by the likes of Twitter, the revamped design marked a shift in strategy for Facebook from static profiles to a real-time flow of information. At the same time, it proved unpopular among some users. But Facebook isn't the only big social-networking player to be implementing Activity Streams. The emerging standard was behind the upgrades to MySpace's MySpaceID product that the News Corp.-owned service launched in March at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival. "It was sort of one of the earlier opportunities we had to take a nascent spec and see it all the way through to launch," MySpaceID product lead Max Engel told CNET News, adding that his team first started working on Activity Streams last September. It's what powers a new MySpace "gadget" for Google as well as its

A post on the Facebook developer blog announces the Open Stream API . Third-party developers will have access to feed of all news feed content . Previously, only status updates were accessible to developers . Blog: API users will be able to use applications to interact with their stream .

(CNET) -- Compact-camera manufacturers have begun testing the waters with a wealth of high-end features as they search for new ways to gain revenue, market share, and recognition. A prototype of Olympus' Micro Four Thirds model, one of several small cameras with big features. In earlier digital photography days, a camera with an extra megapixel of resolution, face recognition, or image stabilization could stand apart from the herd. But now that herd has grown larger, most folks who'll buy a digital camera already have done so, the economy has put consumer spending on ice--and camera makers are making some bolder bets with high-end features. Among them: Nikon's built-in GPS support to record where a photo was taken, Casio's high-speed video, and the Micro Four Thirds camera system from Panasonic and Olympus. Premium features aren't an easy sell. They tend to appeal to market niches rather than the mainstream. Early implementations are often rough around the edges. And it's hard enough to convince people to buy a new camera, much less one with the higher price of premium features. But winning those customers can have a good payoff with better profit margins. And that's critical in this day and age. Market research firm IDC expects that after years of growth, the shipments of digital cameras will decline in 2009. "It's crowded, and it's getting crowdeder," IDC analyst Ron Glaz said of the digital camera market. "We're anticipating that with the slowdown in economy and disposable income, we'll start seeing consolidation of the vendors." In other words, even though something in the neighborhood of 38 million digital cameras are sold annually, some companies will throw in the towel. Even as the compact-digital market saturated in recent years, digital SLRs showed strong market growth. Some high-end compact models are geared for those thinking of buying an SLR, but who want something less bulky and complicated. Another type: SLR owners who need something they can slip into a pocket or easily take on a trip. Dethroning Canon The company to dethrone here is Canon, the leader of the compact camera market. Not only does it have seemingly innumerable cameras for every variation of consumer, but it also has long offered its G series for enthusiasts who are willing to pay a premium for high-end features. The current PowerShot G10 offers 14.7 megapixels of resolution, full manual controls, support for raw image format, a durable body, and a relatively fast lens. "There have always been competitive products for the G-series. However, the range of competitors has expanded recently. Now, not only high-end point-and-shoot, but also low-end DSLR products are priced about the same as the G10," Canon said in a statement. The company has offered a new G-series model each year since 2006, and Canon believes the G10 to be the leading high-end compact camera in the United States. Canon shares dominance in the SLR market with Nikon, and in the compact market, Nikon's Coolpix P6000 is aimed straight at Canon's G10. The P6000's chief distinguishing feature is its built-in GPS receiver, which enables the camera to know where it is when a photo is taken. That location data is written into the image file through a process called geotagging that lets people sort their photos not just by when they were taken or by what folder on a computer they were stuffed into, but also by where they were taken. "Having GPS in the camera makes all the sense in the world to me," Glaz said. "People are now capturing thousands of pictures a year. There are only a few things they remember about them--I was in Paris, it was around the holidays." So location data is important, especially as software arrives that can convert a photo's latitude-longitude information into a place name. That will let people search for photos by typing in text, not just by looking at image thumbnails on a map

Compact-camera makers are testing the waters with high-end features like GPS . Premium features like high-speed video aren't an easy sell in a tough economy . After years of growth, shipments of digital cameras are expected to decline in 2009 . The company to dethrone here is Canon, leader of the compact camera market .

(CNET) -- Craigslist's managers have complied with the wishes of most of the state attorneys general who demanded they rid the site of prostitution ads. Craigslist says it has removed prostitution ads, but some issues remain. The Web's dominate classifieds publication replaced its controversial "erotic" section with a new "adult" category. And where Craigslist once relied on readers to flag dodgy advertisements, the company's employees now review every ad submitted to the adult area before they appear online. Yet, the site has been unable to block every solicitation for sex. Catherine, a self-described sex worker from San Francisco, confirmed for CNET that she successfully posted an ad for her services to the adult section late last week. She wished to remain anonymous, so neither the ad's photo nor text can be included in this story. Regardless, it isn't hard to find questionable ads in Craigslist's new adult section. The most noticeable difference between Craigslist's erotic and adult categories is the photos. In the adult section, the photos are less provocative. Less skin is showing. When it comes to the text, however, the two sections are very similar. Both are packed with ads for massage services. Ads in both areas include descriptions of the masseuse's breast size ("I'm a natural C cup") and they are often photographed dressed in their underwear. Even if most of these services are legitimate, and only a few are veiled offers of sex in the new adult area, plenty of others make little if any pretense about what they offer. These ads typically include words such as "busty," or "fantasy girl" in their descriptions. Often, they feature photos of a woman or man dressed provocatively in their underwear or bathing suit. Some include hourly rates. Clearly, Craigslist faces a significant challenge as it tries to purge prostitution from its Web pages. While it can ban nude photos and overt offers of sex, how can anyone expect the site to outlaw ads featuring photos of bikini-clad women offering phone numbers? One can find racier images in department store ads. The Internet has made it easier for merchants of all kinds to conduct commerce and reach wider audiences. Should anyone be surprised that the sex trade has benefited from this as well. If Craigslist were to disappear tomorrow, does anyone really expect that would curb prostitution? A review of some competing online classifieds shows that while Craigslist has been a popular destination for sex workers, it is by no means the only one. For example, Backpages.com is an online classified publication and Craigslist competitor. The content it produces can also be found on the Web sites of some entertainment and alternative publications in major metropolitan areas, such as New York's Village Voice or San Francisco's SFWeekly. Craigslist is G-rated compared with the photos found in Backpages' adult section. Ads included nude photos while others showed people engaged in sexual intercourse. A common ad would show a bare chested woman asking men to call her at a phone number. In the area of Backpages that services Charleston, S.C., one ad found on Tuesday by CNET featured a photo of a bare-chested woman apparently engaged in masturbation. It must be noted that there was nothing as graphic on Craigslist. This is relevant because Henry McMaster, South Carolina's attorney general, last week threatened Craigslist with a criminal investigation. McMaster hasn't made any similar threats--at least none that has been publicized--against Backpages. Managers at Backpages did not respond to an interview request. In November, Craigslist and 40 state attorneys general, including McMaster, signed an agreement that called for the site to add more safeguards. The classifieds publication followed through and one of the new changes was a new requirement that anyone posting to the erotic section must provide a credit card. All the parties hoped that criminals would be unwilling to provide identification and this would be deterrent. "Many of the classified and communication services on the Craigslist site provide the public with a valuable service," McMaster wrote to Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster on May 5. "However

Craigslist has banned sex ads, but some still remain, author says . A San Francisco sex worker says she still sells sex through the site . On Tuesday, an ad on the site shows bare-chested woman . Source: law protects Craigslist from being held liable for users' actions .

(CNET) -- If you want to consider a difficult computational problem, try thinking of the algorithms required to animate more than 10,000 helium balloons, each with its own string, but each also interdependent on the rest, which are collectively hoisting aloft a small house. The production team at Pixar faced many new technological challenges on "Up," its tenth feature film. That was the challenge the production team at Pixar faced when it set out to begin work on "Up," its tenth feature film, five years in the works, which hits theaters on Friday. There was absolutely no way the team was going to hand-animate the balloons. Not with their numbers in five-figures, and especially not when you consider that within the cluster, every interaction between two balloons has a ripple effect: If one bumped another, the second would move, likely bumping a third, and so on. And every bit of this would need to be seen on screen. In "Up," the story revolves around the main character, 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen, who, frustrated with his mundane life, ties the thousands of balloons to his house and sets off for adventures in South America. A small boy ends up marooned on board, and hilarity ensues. The cluster of balloons is so central to the film's branding--it's called "Up," after all--that to promote the film, Pixar teamed up with two of the world's cluster ballooning experts for a nationwide tour involving a real-life flying armchair and dozens of huge, colorful balloons. "You have a movie that's about a house that flies, which is a pretty far-fetched idea," said Steve May, the supervising technical director on "Up." "We all know, from kids' parties, how a bunch of balloons behave, so if we could animate balloons in a realistic way, the believability that the house could fly would sell." For May, "Up" producer Jonas Rivera, director Pete Docter, and the many others involved in making the film, believability was key, even within the context of a story about a flying house. And while a major part of instilling that believability must come from a well-conceived and executed story and script, the animation is no less responsible for winning over potentially skeptical audiences. Balloons, the mother of animation invention May said that the animation department at Pixar never even considered hand-animating the balloons. But even standard computer animation wouldn't be up to the task, because of the N-squared complexity involved in the thousands of interdependent balloons. Instead, the studio's computer whizzes figured out a way to turn the problem over to a programmed physical simulator, which, employing Newtonian physics, was able to address the animation problem. "These are relatively simple physical equations, so you program them into the computer and therefore kind of let the computer animate things for you, using those physics," said May. "So in every frame of the animation, (the computer can) literally compute the forces acting on those balloons, (so) that they're buoyant, that their strings are attached, that wind is blowing through them. And based on those forces, we can compute how the balloon should move." This process is known as procedural animation, and is described by an algorithm or set of equations, and is in stark contrast to what is known as key frame animation, in which the animators explicitly define the movement of an object or objects in every frame. Procedural animation has been around for some time, but May suggested that even the most difficult uses of it in the past don't come close to what Pixar had to achieve in "Up." Pixar fans may remember the scenes in "Cars" of a stadium full of 300,000 car "fans" cheering on a high-speed race below, each of which was independently animated. That, too, was done with procedural animation, May said, since creating so many cars individually would have been a non-starter.

Pixar faced many new technological challenges on its film "Up," opening Friday . The movie is about an old man who flies away on a house lifted by balloons . Pixar used a programmed physical simulator to animate thousands of balloons . Studio's goal is to make even the hardest animation problems look simple on screen .

(CNET) -- Investigators for the Department of Justice began asking questions about Apple's business practices involving digital music at least three weeks ago, multiple music industry sources told CNET. DOJ investigators have interviewed numerous executives at record companies and digital music stores and according to those with knowledge of the discussions, it is clear that investigators are interested in learning whether Apple has employed anticompetitive tactics. The sources said that the department's inquiry is just in a fact-finding stage and that there is nothing to indicate investigators have found any wrongdoing or would file a complaint against Apple. Representatives from Apple and the Justice Department did not respond to interview requests. This is what we know about the investigation so far. • DOJ investigators have interviewed executives from the four major music labels and several digital music retailers about how Apple wields its iTunes influence. • Part of what investigators are interested in is whether Apple used its market dominance to discourage two of the top record companies from participating in a special Amazon music promotion called the "MP3 Daily Deal." • Apple has a history of throwing its weight around the music sector. Apple's iTunes accounts for 70 percent of all digital song sales and wields huge power. Apple has often used that clout to dictate terms to suppliers -- that is, the major labels. Here are just a few examples: The major labels wanted variable pricing on songs and albums and for years Apple resisted. In 2005, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said the top recording companies were "getting greedy"after music execs considered a music price hike. Last year, Apple finally gave the labels some additional control over song pricing. The big record companies wanted the ability to sell albums that were unbundled, meaning they wanted Apple to sell hot LPs as a full package and refrain from selling individual songs from these works. Again, on this issue Apple hasn't given much ground. To iTunes' fans, Apple was a freedom fighter. The perception was that Apple was standing up for consumers. Apple's refusal to force customers to buy full albums saved them from having to shell out money for songs they didn't want. To them, Apple's reluctance to raise the 99 cent song price was another way the company kept music costs down. And the government never made a peep about these practices. Deal or no deal? But what may not seem as consumer-friendly is the accusation that Apple tried to squash a competitor's effort to offer discounted music. Amazon's "MP3 Daily Deal," is a promotion that involves slashing prices on specific music titles and pushing them heavily on the day of their release. Amazon sometimes negotiated to get exclusive access to the music for a period of time, and the labels and their artists would often support the Daily Deal by promoting it on their Web sites. Apple managers informed the labels that any music included in Amazon's promotion would receive no promotion at iTunes, music industry sources told CNET in April. In one case, Apple complained to Sony Music Entertainment after seeing material from Alicia Keys touted as part of the Daily Deal. In March, Ed Christman, from Billboard magazine, broke the news about Apple's attempts to make the labels "rethink" their support for the Daily Deal. He wrote that Apple contacted EMI executives with similar gripes about such albums as Corinne Bailey Rae's "The Sea," Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now," and Ke$ha's "Animal." When it comes to tracing iTunes' potential DOJ troubles, one has to start with Apple's success. During the last decade, with its iPod digital music players and iTunes music store, the company completely remade the way people across the globe listen to, store, and buy music. Apple's iTunes store accounted for 28 percent of all music purchased by U.S. consumers in the first quarter of this year, research firm NPD Group said Wednesday. Two years ago during the same period, iTunes' market share was 19 percent. Companies that dominate a market as much as Apple rules digital music often are accused of anti-trust violations

Department. of Justice is asking questions about Apple's business practices . Investigators want to know whether Apple has employed anticompetitive tactics . Apple's iTunes accounts for 70 percent of all digital song sales .

(CNET) -- Microsoft has applied for a patent on metered, pay-as-you-go computing. Under a Microsoft proposal, consumers would receive heavily discounted PCs, then pay fees for usage. U.S. patent application number 20080319910, published on Christmas Day, details Microsoft's vision of a situation where a "standard model" of PC is given away or heavily subsidized by someone in the supply chain. The end user then pays to use the computer, with charges based on both the length of usage time and the performance levels utilized, along with a "one-time charge." Microsoft notes in the application that the end user could end up paying more for the computer, compared with the one-off cost entailed in the existing PC business model, but argues the user would benefit by having a PC with an extended "useful life." "A computer with scalable performance level components and selectable software and service options has a user interface that allows individual performance levels to be selected," reads the patent application's abstract. The patent application was filed June 21, 2007. "The scalable performance level components may include a processor, memory, graphics controller, etc. Software and services may include word processing, email, browsing, database access, etc. To support a pay-per-use business model, each selectable item may have a cost associated with it, allowing a user to pay for the services actually selected and that presumably correspond to the task or tasks being performed," the abstract continues. Integral to Microsoft's vision is a security module, embedded in the PC, that would effectively lock the PC to a certain supplier. "The metering agents and specific elements of the security module...allow an underwriter in the supply chain to confidently supply a computer at little or no upfront cost to a user or business, aware that their investment is protected and that the scalable performance capabilities generate revenue commensurate with actual performance level settings and usage," the application reads. 'A more granular approach' According to the application, the issue with the existing PC business model is that it "requires more or less a one chance at the consumer kind of mentality, where elasticity curves are based on the pressure to maximize profits on a one-time-sale, one-shot-at-the-consumer mentality." Microsoft's proposed model, on the other hand, could "allow a more granular approach to hardware and software sales," the application states, adding that the user "may be able to select a level of performance related to processor, memory, graphics power, etc that is driven not by a lifetime maximum requirement but rather by the need of the moment." "When the need is browsing, a low level of performance may be used and, when network-based interactive gaming is the need of the moment, the highest available performance may be made available to the user," the document reads. "Because the user only pays for the performance level of the moment, the user may see no reason to not acquire a device with a high degree of functionality, in terms of both hardware and software, and experiment with a usage level that suits different performance requirements." By way of example, the application posits a situation involving three "bundles" of applications and performance: office, gaming, and browsing. "The office bundle may include word-processing and spreadsheet applications, medium graphics performance and two of three processor cores," the document reads. "The gaming bundle may include no productivity applications but may include 3D graphics support and three of three processor cores. The browsing bundle may include no productivity applications, medium graphics performance and high-speed network interface." "Charging for the various bundles may be by bundle and by duration. For example, the office bundle may be $1.00 [68 pence] per hour, the gaming bundle may be $1.25 per hour and the browsing bundle may be $0.80 per hour. The usage charges may be abstracted to 'units/hour' to make

Microsoft has applied for a patent on metered, pay-as-you-go computing . Under its plan, a standard PC would be given away or heavily subsidized . Consumers would then pay regular fees to use the computer . Charges would be based on length of usage time and PC performance levels .

(CNET) -- Now that stereo Bluetooth has become a common feature in a lot of music phones, it's no surprise that stereo Bluetooth headsets have become quite popular as well. Stereo Bluetooth headsets come in many shapes and sizes, from the behind-the-ear style of the Motorola Rokr S9 to the over-the-head style of the Jabra BT8030. The Jabra BT3030 is in the style of a pendant, or as its design suggests, more of a dog tag. It's been available for a while now, but we think it's still worth it. The Jabra BT3030 can be purchased for around $39.99. Of course like any stereo Bluetooth headset, the Jabra BT3030 requires a cell phone with the A2DP or stereo Bluetooth profile. The Jabra BT3030 consists primarily of a small remote control unit housed in a dog-tag style pendant. Measuring 2.1-inches long by 1.6-inch wide by 0.38-inch thick, the pendant is slim and compact with a metal finish and a rubberized border all around it. All of the controls are laid out right on the front face in a straightforward grid. They are the Play/Pause key, the track shuffle keys, the volume controls, plus the multifunction Call key. The keys are all made of rubber, and are raised above the surface for a nice tactile feel. The 3.5mm headset jack is on the right spine, while the charger jack is on the bottom. On the top is an opening for an optional lanyard. Also on the top is a tiny microphone. Getting the headset set up is pretty simple. Just power it on via the multifunction Call button, and turn on the Bluetooth pairing mode on your cell phone. We managed to pair the Jabra BT3030 with the LG Chocolate 3 without a problem. From there, we could play/pause tracks, skip songs, and adjust the volume, all from the Jabra BT3030. The Jabra BT3030 comes with nice pair of ear buds that sit comfortably in the ear, but since it has a 3.5mm headset jack, you can use any headphones of your choosing. Aside from using the Jabra BT3030 for music, you can also use the it to make calls via the last number redial or voice command. When there's an incoming call during music playback, the music will pause and you will hear a ringing tone. You can then hit the Call button to answer the call. After you hang up, the music will resume from the paused point. Other features include call-waiting support, the ability to reject calls, plus the ability to transfer calls from the headset to the phone, and vice versa. Sound quality was quite good, and comparable to most MP3 players on the market. The bass was a little weak, but the overall quality was decent. Call quality was mixed. While we heard our callers just fine, we did have to bring the pendant close to our mouths for callers to hear us. They reported a little bit of static and echo from us as well. This seemed to vary from caller to caller, however, so we urge you to give it a trial run before you settle for it. The Jabra BT3030 also comes with an optional clothing clip accessory, plus an AC adapter. It has a rated battery life of 8 hours talk time, 7 hours music streaming, and 9.58 days standby time. © 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. CNET, CNET.com and the CNET logo are registered trademarks of CBS Interactive Inc. Used by permission.

The Jabra BT3030 is a great, affordable option for a stereo Bluetooth headset . Device is slim and lightweight, plus it has tactile and easy-to-use controls . It comes with a 3.5-mm headset jack so you can use it with any headphones . Its music quality is decent, although the call quality could be improved .

(CNET) -- Well, here's what we've all been waiting for. Apple put out a couple of announcements on Tuesday related to its desktop computers. Apple on Tuesday announced a new Mac Pro high-end desktop powered by Intel's "Nehalem" processor. The company unveiled a new Mac Pro high-end desktop powered by Intel's "Nehalem" processor, a new and more graphics-intensive Mac Mini machine, and updated iMacs that include the lowest price point yet for the consumer desktops. Let's look at the new Mac Pro first: priced at $2,499 for the quad-core version and $3,299 for the eight-core version, those Intel "Nehalem" Xeon processors run at 2.93 GHz, and the interior of the machine has been cleaned up to make physical expansions easier. On the green front, it meets the new Energy Star 5.0 requirements that will go into effect later this year. The new iMac desktop is a 24" machine that is priced at $1,499, the cost of Apple's previous 20" iMac. The 20-inch is now $1,199. The 20" is powered by a 2.66 GHz processor; the 24" has processor speed options of 2.66 GHz, 2.93 GHz (for $1,799), or 3.02 GHz (for $2,199). The 24" comes with a 640GB hard drive and 4GB of RAM expandable to 8GB; the 20" comes with a 320GB hard drive and 2GB of RAM expandable to 8GB. "Our flagship 24-inch iMac with twice the memory and twice the storage is now available for just $1,499," Apple chief operating officer Tim Cook, currently standing in at the helm of the company in place of iconic CEO Steve Jobs, said in a release. "The Mac mini is not only our most affordable Mac, it's also the world's most energy efficient desktop computer." As for the new Mac Mini, the big upgrade is NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics that Apple says will improve its graphics performance as much as fivefold. The monitor-free machine costs either $599 for a lower-end edition (1GB RAM, 120GB hard drive) or $799 for the higher-end (2GB RAM, 320GB hard drive). All these machines, like the new Mac Pro, meet Energy Star 5.0 requirements. Rumors of new Apple desktop computers were first reported at AppleInsider. © 2009 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. CNET, CNET.com and the CNET logo are registered trademarks of CBS Interactive Inc. Used by permission.

Apple on Tuesday announced a new Mac Pro high-end desktop . Powered by Intel's "Nehalem" processor, they're priced at $2,499 and $3,299 . Apple also unveilved a new and more graphics-intensive Mac Mini machine . Updated 24-inch iMacs have twice the memory and twice the storage .

(CNET) -- When it comes to 3D television, I don't see it. Literally. The technology that's supposed to convince me that a 3D image exists when I look at a 2D screen doesn't work for me. Nor does it work for a small but significant percentage of the population -- 4 percent to 10 percent, depending on which expert you ask. Me, and millions of people like me, are being left behind by content and hardware companies as they move to 3D. I don't mean to complain. It's not the end of the world. Flat-viewers, like me, can watch 2D versions of 3D content. I saw "Avatar" in the non-3D version. As a bonus, the theater was nearly empty--the 3D showing down the hall was more crowded. Plus, we didn't have to wear those dorky glasses. Of course, we are social beings, and not being able to view 3D means that group or family outings to 3D showings are awkward for the flat viewers, who may have to sit through a showing that will cause headaches or just look bad to them. But the flat-viewer's experience with 3D imagery can vary. While I find viewing 3D imagery uncomfortable, Daniel Terdiman, another person at CNET who can't see 3D, saw the 3D version of Avatar and wore the 3D glasses. It looked fine to him, just not 3D. Manufacturers are mute At CES this year, the trend toward 3D in home television sets was unmissable, but there was no mention by the manufacturers of how this move would affect flat viewers. I was curious how the hardware companies, which fight for every point of market share jealously, could cavalierly ignore the large number of us who won't like this new direction. It's a lot of market. How are they planning to deal with losing it? Oddly, none of the HDTV manufacturing companies I reached out to could provide a direct comment on this topic, but I did talk with people familiar with the industry and with an optometrist who has a vested interest in promoting the growth of 3D content viewing. Bruce Berkoff of the LCDTV Association and formerly a marketing executive at LG, noted that for all the hype around 3D, the television manufacturers are not really investing much in putting products on store shelves, nor are they expecting consumers to pay for it yet. Adding the capability for televisions to display alternating images for stereoscopic viewing through electronic shutter glasses is not expensive. It's the glasses themselves that are, and only a few 3D-capable sets actually come bundled with them. So consumers will be able to soon buy televisions ready for 3D without spending much. Berkoff, and everyone else I talked to about 3D TV, reminded me that a good 3D TV is also a good 2D TV. You should be able to turn off the 3D display features and view content designed specifically for 3D but in 2D: You just show the view for only one eye. If the refresh rate of the program is high enough, you should not notice much of a difference in picture quality. Get your eyes examined From the optometrist's perspective, the inability to process stereoscopic imagery is, for many people, a treatable condition. Dr. Brad Habermehl, president of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development, told me, "You don't have to be a 3D refugee if you get to the root of the problem. The majority of stereo-blind people really can be helped." Habermehl says that there are methods to teach people to see in 3D. Using graduated methods and physical aids (lenses) as "training wheels," he says, people can eventually learn how to "point both eyes to focus on the same space." It's like riding a bike. Once you learn, the training wheels come off and you can't imagine not doing it. "Vision is definitely learned," he says. "That's what vision training is." The doctor sounded to me suspiciously like a spokesperson for the 3D television manufacturers, or at least a

The author's eyes will not let him see 3D images on a TV or movie screen . A small but significant percentage of the population cannot see 3D images . They may be left behind by Hollywood and TV makers' rush to 3D technology . TV makers say users can turn off 3D display features and just view content in 2D .

(CNET) -- With its launch of iPhoto 09, Apple has begun showing some reasons why it's worth enduring the hassle of geotagging your photos. Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president, unveils iPhoto 09 at Macworld Tuesday. It's generally not easy right now to label your photos with information about where you took the pictures -- the process usually is done with special software to marry the photos with location data taken from a separate GPS receiver. Phil Schiller, Apple's senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, demonstrated what you can do with iPhoto at the Macworld 2009 keynote Tuesday. iPhoto 09 works best with photos that already have been tagged. That's getting more common, as GPS hardware support becomes less of a rarity. For example, Nikon's Coolpix P6000 has a built-in GPS receiver, and Nikon has begun selling its GP-1 GPS receiver, which can plug into its SLR's flash mount so location data is embedded in the photo. Apple's iPhone can geotag its own photos, and camera manufacturers say GPS support in cameras has become a matter of when, not if. But the software also can help you tag your own images. Clicking a photo flips it over, letting you type in a location, then showing the spot using a map. (Google supplies back-end mapping services). Helpfully, iPhoto then can spread that location data to other photos with similar time stamps, and they can be bundled together into a group called an event. OK, but what can you do? Once you have geotagged photos, what can you do with them? For one thing, sift through them geographically using iPhotos' new Places interface. Viewing an iPhoto event can show an associated collection of pushpins on a map, and clicking each pin shows the photo. For another, you can search for photos based on where you took them, not on whatever filing system you might use. iPhoto can handle geographic hierarchies, so if you labeled a photo with "Eiffel Tower," it'll find it with a search for "France" or "Paris." Last, you can create photo books based on location. For people who want to create albums of their travels, this is a good idea, especially since you can use the tags both for selecting photos to print and to add maps into the book itself. There's no support for the painful part of geotagging, though: extracting location data from a GPS unit. There are other programs that can handle that chore, including Microsoft's Pro Photo Tools, Breeze Systems' Downloader Pro, or GPS Photo Linker. iPhoto is bundled with Macs, along with other members of the iLife suite: iMovie, Garage Band, iWeb, and iDVD. People who have earlier versions can upgrade to iLife 09 for $79. Tag, you're it In some glorious future, computers might be able to understand the content of your photos just by "looking" at them, letting them retrieve just what you want when you ask. But for now, it's mostly up to you to add metadata, textual information such as titles, captions, star ratings, and geotags. If you want to find pictures of the Sydney Opera House, you'll have to know when you took them, what folder you tucked them into, or hope you labeled them with appropriate tags. iPhoto 09, like Google's Picasa Web Albums, adds another major tagging automation feature, though: face recognition. The software finds faces, lets you put a name to them, then offers other views of what it judges to be the same person. After you're done, you can view photos of a specific person. And if you've tagged people in Facebook, it'll slurp up those tags through a synchronization process. Yahoo's Flickr, which has extensive tagging and geotagging abilities, also benefits from this synchronization ability. So what's the upshot here? Good news and bad news. The good news is that the world of digital photography is moving to a new organizational scheme,

Software marries photos with location data taken from a separate GPS receiver . Apple's iPhone can geotag its own photos . Geotagging lets you search for photos based on where you took them . Manufacturers say GPS support in cameras has become a matter of when, not if .

(CNET.com) -- The HP Pavilion Media Center TV m8120n is proof positive that quad-core processing is ready for mass consumption. This $1,150 entertainment-minded desktop serves up Intel's Core 2 Quad Q6600 CPU, a quad-core chip that up to this point we've seen only in much higher-end systems meant for gaming. While HP's own Pavilion Slimline or Apple's Mac Mini might be better fits for most people looking for a PC to pair with their plasma, the m8120n is a great buy if you need a high-end PC that can do pretty much everything outside of gaming. This fixed-configuration retail PC serves up a host of audio and video connections, plenty of hard drive space, more memory than we were expecting, and integrated Wi-Fi -- all inside a functional and good-looking case. The result is a surprisingly powerful media PC; you won't find a better performer for less. Only its lack of a next-gen optical drive prevents a higher recommendation. We're also not thrilled with the amount of shovelware. Aside from its black exterior, the m8120n is similar in design to the Pavilion Media Center m7780n we reviewed at the start of the year (HP moved to its current Media Center chassis in the spring). We turned on the system and looked over the components, expecting to find a few incremental upgrades from the previous models. Instead, we were shocked to find not only a quad-core processor but also 3GB of fast 1,066MHz memory -- 1GB more than we anticipated. A quick scan of our quad-core reviews confirmed our suspicion: this is by far the cheapest quad-core PC we've reviewed. HP is able to keep the price down in large part by not going after gamers with this system (the preloaded trial offers -- shovelware -- also help subsidize the cost of the PC). Instead of putting money toward a powerful but pricey graphics card, HP uses a low-end Nvidia GeForce 7350LE TurboCache card. It borrows resources from the main system memory when it needs more than its 128MB of dedicated video RAM, but it's more than capable for everything but supplying suitable 3D framerates as our tests show. Beneath the graphics card is a TV tuner card that features an NTSC tuner, an over-the-air ATSC HD tuner, and an FM tuner. It allows you to connect it to your cable box or grab over-the-air channels via an HD antenna (which you'll need to supply yourself). The m8120n uses Vista Home Premium, which includes the Media Center shell. You can use it as your subscription-free DVR front-end to watch, pause, and record TV. It also lets you access other media files--photos, music, videos--via the included Media Center remote. A slick, slim wireless keyboard is also included, but it lacks a mouse control nub or ball, which means living-room use will require mousing on your thigh, the arm of the couch, or coffee table if it's something you can't control with the remote. A pair of 320GB hard drives provides ample storage out of the box, and you can add more via the Personal Media Drive bay on the front panel that can accept HP's external hard drives. The drives come in 160GB, 300GB, and 500GB capacities and require no wires to connect -- just slide them into the slot. They also feature a USB port should you need to connect them to another PC. Aside from that, there isn't much room for expansion. All four memory slots are occupied, as are both PCI slots. You can easily get rid of the modem card if you need a free PCI slot, however, and there is an available x1 PCI Express slot. Beneath the 15-in-1 media card reader conveniently located across the top of the front panel are two 5.25-inch drive bays. We were hoping HP's hybrid Blu-ray/HD DVD drive would occupy one of the two slots, but, alas, we discovered a LightScribe DVD burner

The HP Pavilion Media Center TV m8120n retails for $1,150 . It boasts a quad-core Intel processor and outstanding overall performance . No next-gen optical drive on this retail model, little room for future expansion .

(CNN Student News) -- Each month in 2008, CNN Student News will be "Talking Democracy" by introducing an election-year topic on the show and online. From caucuses to conventions and primaries to polls, CNN Student News will be breaking down these election-year concepts for students and teachers. Classes are invited to show what they know about the political process by submitting iReports to CNN Student News. Classes are encouraged to use original video, music, animation and other production elements to demonstrate their knowledge of each political concept. There's a list of political concepts and the months they will air below. The best iReports may appear on CNN Student News. This Web page is your one-stop destination for Talking Democracy educational materials and iReport information. As the year unfolds, additional materials will be added to this site that address the different topics your students will learn about in the Talking Democracy series. Be sure to revisit often! Talking Democracy Topics January: Caucuses and Primaries February: The Right to Vote March: Political Parties April: Campaign Finance May: Polling June and July: The Issues August: Conventions September: Debates October: What's at Stake? November: Electoral College Learning Activities • Caucuses and Primaries • The Right to Vote • Political Parties • Campaign Finance • Polling • Political Issues • Conventions • Debates Viewing Guide • Electoral College Reform • Predict Electoral College Votes One-Sheets • Caucuses and Primaries • The Right to Vote • Political Parties • Campaign Finance • Political Polls • Political Issues • Conventions • Debates • Electoral College Talking Democracy Questions Use these questions to test your knowledge of the presidential election process, then check the answers to see how you did. Videos • Delegates 101 Delegate-hunting can be a mathematical challenge, but CNN's Jill Dougherty says it adds up to American-style democracy. • Right to Vote CNN Student News explores the right to vote, and an iReporting classroom chimes in with reasons to exercise it. • Political Parties 101 Discover some of the differences between the Democratic and Republican parties. • Campaign Finance 101 Check out some of the rules concerning cash for presidential campaigns. • Polling 101 Discover why a random sampling is an important aspect of an opinion poll. • Conventions 101 CNN Student News takes you behind the scenes of the national political conventions. • Debates 101 The candidates face off as CNN Student News provides the background and backdrop for presidential debates. • Electoral College 101 CNN Student News' Carl Azuz gives us the 411 on the Electoral College Interactives Why delegates matter in the presidential race Click through this interactive for an explanation of the different types of delegates and how they are chosen in the nomination process for the Democratic and Republican parties. Electoral Map Calculator Use this Electoral College map to examine how the presidential candidates may fare in November's election, based on analysis from the CNN Political Unit. Then call the race yourself! Click on a state, choose a winner, and watch the electoral votes add up. Cable in the Classroom's eLECTIONS campaign simulation Make all the decisions for a virtual run for the U.S. presidency, allocating budget, selecting key issues, choosing where to campaign, and responding to the opponent's moves and other external events. Debate Quiz How much do you know about debate history? These questions will test your knowledge and include video of some memorable moments in presidential debate history. Related Resources • CNN Election Center 2008 • FEC: 2008 Presidential Caucus and Primary Dates • Project Vote-Smart.org: How Does the Primary Process Work? • CNN Campaign Trail Jargonbuster iReports Students can demonstrate their understanding of election-related topics by sending in their own Talking Democracy iReports. Click here for information on how to send in iReports.

"Talking Democracy" breaks down election-year concepts for students and teachers .

(CNN Student News) -- February marks the beginning of Black History Month, a federally recognized, nationwide celebration that provides the opportunity for all Americans to reflect on the significant roles that African-Americans have played in the shaping of U.S. history. But how did this celebration come to be, and why does it take place in February? We should emphasize not Negro History, but the Negro in history. What we need is not a history of selected races or nations, but the history of the world void of national bias, race hate, and religious prejudice. - Dr. Carter G. Woodson (1875-1950) on founding Negro History Week, 1926 Dr. Carter G. Woodson, considered a pioneer in the study of African-American history, is given much of the credit for Black History Month, and has been called the "Father of Black History." The son of former slaves, Woodson spent his childhood working in coalmines and quarries He received his education during the four-month term that was customary for black schools at the time. At 19, having taught himself English fundamentals and arithmetic, Woodson entered high school, where he completed a four-year curriculum in two years. He went on to receive his Master's degree in history from the University of Chicago, and he eventually earned a Ph.D from Harvard. Disturbed that history textbooks largely ignored America's black population, Woodson took on the challenge of writing black Americans into the nation's history. To do this, Woodson established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History. He also founded the group's widely respected publication, the Journal of Negro History. In 1926, he developed Negro History Week. Woodson believed that "the achievements of the Negro properly set forth will crown him as a factor in early human progress and a maker of modern civilization." Woodson chose the second week of February for the celebration because it marks the birthdays of two men who greatly influenced the black American population: Frederick Douglass (February 14), an escaped slave who became one of the foremost black abolitionists and civil rights leaders in the nation, and President Abraham Lincoln (February 12), who signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which abolished slavery in America's confederate states. In 1976, Negro History Week expanded into Black History Month. The month is also sometimes referred to as African-American Heritage Month. (Source: http://blackhistorypages.net/pages/cgwoodson.php, http://www.chipublib.org/002branches/woodson/woodsonbib.html)

Use this information to understand the origins of Black History Month .

(CNN Student News) -- On November 11, Americans pay tribute to everyone who has served in the U.S. military. But why was this particular date chosen, and how does this holiday differ from Memorial Day? Origins of Veterans Day World War I, also known as "The Great War," was fought from 1914 to 1918. During this conflict, Great Britain, France, Russia, Belgium, Italy, Japan, the United States and other countries, which formed the "Allies," defeated the so-called "Central Powers," which included Germany, Austria-Hungary, Turkey (then the Ottoman Empire) and Bulgaria. On the "eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month" of 1918, German leaders signed an armistice, or a halt to hostilities, with the Allied powers. On that date, November 11, celebrations were held in New York City, Paris, London and in other cities around the globe. The following year, President Woodrow Wilson declared November 11 as "Armistice Day," a day to observe the end of World War I. On June 4, 1926, the U.S. Congress passed a resolution asking President Calvin Coolidge to call upon officials to "display the flag of the United States on all government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples." Twelve years later, on May 13, 1938, Congress passed an Act making the 11th of November Armistice Day, a federal holiday. Initially, Armistice Day was supposed to honor veterans of World War I. But after the call to arms and human sacrifices during World War II and the Korean conflict, veterans' groups urged Congress to consider a day to celebrate U.S. veterans of all wars. On June 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. Difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day Veterans Day in the United States is a day to honor all Americans who have served in the U.S. military, both during wartime and in peace. Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring Americans who have died serving the nation, especially those who died in battle or from wounds received during armed conflicts. On Veterans Day, Americans thank the living veterans for their service to the country and recognize all who have served the country. Veterans Day Proclamation The following is the text of President George W. Bush's 2008 Veterans Day Proclamation: On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States. From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation's ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America's veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known. They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn. Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom's defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world. With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public

Use this information to learn about the history of Veterans Day .

(CNN Student News) -- Record the CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Autism is a World when it airs commercial-free on Monday, March 31, 2008 from approximately 4:00-- 5:00 a.m. ET on CNN. (A short feature begins at 4:00 a.m. and precedes the program.) Program Overview For years, Sue Rubin says she was "her own worst nightmare." Sue has autism, and until age 13, she was unable to communicate or control her unusual behavior. Now in her late twenties, Sue has become a disabled-rights advocate and a college student with a top IQ. In the Academy Award-nominated documentary Autism is a World, filmmaker Gerry Wurzburg and CNN take a rare look at autism through the words of a young woman who lives with it. Grade Levels: 9-12, college Subject Areas: Health, Social Studies, Technology, Current Issues Objectives: The CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Autism is a World and its corresponding discussion questions and activities challenge students to: Curriculum Connections Health Standard 1. Knows the availability and effective use of health services, products, and information Level IV [Grade: 9-12] Benchmark 5. Knows situations that require professional health services in the areas of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation Standard 3. Understands the relationship of family health to individual health Level IV [Grade: 9-12] Benchmark 1. Understands methods to facilitate the transition from the role of a child to the role of an independent adult in the family Standard 4. Knows how to maintain mental and emotional health Level IV [Grade: 9-12] Benchmark 2. Knows strategies for coping with and overcoming feelings of rejection, social isolation, and other forms of stress Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks/), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014; Telephone: 303/337-0990 Social Studies Standard VIII. Science, Technology and Society: Students will examine the relationships among science, technology and society. The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/) are published by the National Council for the Social Studies (http://ncss.org/). Discussion Questions 1. How old is Sue Rubin? What type of disability does she have? What symptoms does she display? What is "mental retardation"? How does mental retardation differ from autism? Why do you think that Sue was thought to be mentally retarded when she was younger? What was her life like before she could communicate? How did she interpret sounds? How does Sue feel about having been perceived as retarded? 2. How does Sue say she learned to communicate? What type of device does she use to communicate? How did Sue's life change once she learned how to communicate? Based on what you've observed in the program, what gains has Sue made over the years in terms of managing her autistic behaviors? 3. How would you describe Sue's relationships with her parents and grandparents? What challenges did Sue's parents face when raising Sue during her early years? According to the program, what measures have Sue's parents taken to help foster their daughter's growth and development over the years? In the program, Sue states, "When I wasn't able to communicate, I was considered a non-person, but I was treated well -- intellectually, socially, culturally and personally." What do you think that she means? Why do you think that Sue considers herself lucky to have the family that she has? 4. Do you think that it is important for Sue to live independently? What types of personal, financial and governmental assistance does Sue need to live in her own home? What are Sue's greatest short-term and long-term concerns about maintaining her independent lifestyle? How would you describe Sue's relationships with the different members of her support team? What skills and attributes do you think that a person

Learn about autism spectrum disorders (ASD) Examine different treatment approaches for ASD . Create an informational brochure about ASD for parents and mental health providers .

(CNN Student News) -- Record the CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Notes from North Korea when it airs commercial-free on CNN. (A short feature begins at 4:00 a.m. and precedes the program.) Program Overview CNN chief international correspondent Christiane Amanpour travels to North Korea as the New York Philharmonic Orchestra makes a historic visit to one of the world's most closed societies. She examines the tense standoff with the U.S. over nuclear weapons and provides a rare look inside a notorious, top-secret nuclear facility. Grade Levels: 9 -- 12, College Subject Areas: U.S. History, World History, Current Events, Political Science, Government Objectives The CNN Special Investigations Unit Classroom Edition: Notes from North Korea and its corresponding discussion questions and suggested activities challenge students to: Curriculum Connections Social Studies Standard VI. Power, Authority, and Governance: Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance. The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands/) are published by the National Council for Social Studies (http://ncss.org/). United States History Standard 27. Understands how the Cold War and conflicts in Korea and Vietnam influenced domestic and international politics Level IV [Grade 9-12] Benchmark 1. Understands U.S. foreign policy from the Truman administration to the Johnson administration Standard 30. Understands developments in foreign policy and domestic politics between the Nixon and Clinton presidencies Level IV [Grade 9-12] Benchmark 5. Understands the influence of U.S. foreign policy on international events from Nixon to Clinton Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks ), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014; Telephone: 303/337-0990. World History Standard 44. Understands the search for community, stability, and peace in an interdependent world Level IV [Grade 9-12] Benchmark 11. Understands common arguments of opposition groups in various countries around the world, common solutions they offer, and the position of these ideas with regard to Western economic and strategic interests Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks ), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014; Telephone: 303/337-0990. Civics III. How Does The Government Established By The Constitution Embody The Purposes, Values, And Principles Of American Democracy? 4. Major responsibilities of the national government in domestic and foreign policy IV. What Is The Relationship Of The United States To Other Nations And To World Affairs? 1. Nation-states 2. Interactions among nation-states 4. The historical context of United States foreign policy 5. Making and implementing United States foreign policy 6. The ends and means of United States foreign policy 7. Impact of the American concept of democracy and individual rights on the world The National Standards for Civics and Government (http://www.civiced.org/index.php?page=stds) are published by the Center for Civic Education (http://www.civiced.org/). Discussion Questions 1. Who is the leader of North Korea? According to the report, how do North Koreans regard this leader? What aspects of his personality are revealed in the program? 2. According to the program, North Korea is a "closed society." What does this mean? 3. How does the report describe the history of U.S.-North Korea relations? According to the report: What tensions currently exist between these two nations? What humanitarian and political concerns exist in North Korea? 4. Why do you think that North Korea invited the New York Philharmonic to play, and decided to open the Yongbyon nuclear facility to the media at this point in time? Why are these events historically and politically significant? 5. Who is Madeline Albright? When and where did she meet with Kim Jong-Il?

Examine the history of U.S.-North Korea relations . Learn about the New York Philharmonic's historic concert in Pyongyang . Examine North Korea's standoff with the U.S. over nuclear weapons .

(CNN Student News) -- Students will examine Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Also, they will compose responses to Dr. King in which they compare his historic vision of racial equality in the United States to the reality of present-day life. Procedure In class discussion, have students define the following terms: racism, prejudice and discrimination. Have them give examples of each. Inform students that, on August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his vision of racial equality in America in his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. Then, point out that in his speech, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of being judged not by the color of one's skin, but by the content of his or her character. Direct your students to read or watch Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech and discuss its content in class. Then, challenge each student to compare Dr. King's dream to the reality of life in the U.S. in the year 2009. Direct each student to compose a response to Dr. King, explaining what life is like in the U.S. today and to what extent his dream has been realized. (Encourage students to be creative in their responses. For example, students could write a letter, a speech, a song or a poem, or produce a brief video.) After students share their responses to Dr. King, pose the following questions for class discussion: Correlated Standards Social Studies II. Time, Continuity and Change Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ways human beings view themselves in and over time. X. Civic Ideals and Practices Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic. The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/strands/ ) are published by the National Council for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/ ).

Students will examine Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech . Students will compose responses to the speech based on life in 2009 .

(CNN Student News) -- Students will examine Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech. Also, they will compose written responses to Dr. King in which they compare his historic vision of racial equality in the United States to the reality of present-day life. Procedure On August 28, 1963, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shared his vision of racial equality in America in his historic "I Have a Dream" speech. Now, efforts are under way to build on that dream by constructing a monument to Dr. King on the banks of the National Mall's Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. In class discussion, have students define the following terms: racism, prejudice and discrimination. Have them give examples of each. Then, point out that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke of being judged not by the color of one's skin, but by the content of his or her character. Direct your students to read Dr. King's famous "I Have a Dream" speech and discuss its content in class. Then, challenge each student to compare Dr. King's dream to the reality of life in the U.S. in the year 2008. Direct each student to compose a written response to Dr. King, explaining what life is like in the U.S. today and to what extent his dream has been realized. (Encourage students to be creative in their responses. For example, students could write a letter, a speech, a song or a poem.) After students share their responses to Dr. King, pose the following questions for class discussion: Do you think that in today's society individuals are judged by the content of their character and not by their race? Give examples to support your opinion. Correlated Standards United States History Standard 29. Understands the struggle for racial and gender equality and for the extension of civil liberties Level II [Grade: 5-6] Benchmark 1. Understands the development of the civil rights movement (e.g., the Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education and its significance in advancing civil rights; the resistance to civil rights in the South between 1954 and 1965; how the "freedom ride," "civil disobedience," and "non-violent resistance" were important to the civil rights movement; Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech in the context of major events) Level III [Grade: 7-8] Benchmark 1. Understands individual and institutional influences on the civil rights movement (e.g., the origins of the postwar civil rights movement; the role of the NAACP in the legal assault on the leadership and ideologies of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X; the effects of the constitutional steps taken in the executive, judicial, and legislative branches of government; the shift from de jure to de facto segregation; important milestones in the civil rights movement between 1954 and 1965; Eisenhower's reasons for dispatching federal troops to Little Rock in 1957) McREL: Content Knowledge: A Compendium of Standards and Benchmarks for K-12 Education (Copyright 2000 McREL) is published online by Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) (http://www.mcrel.org/standards-benchmarks), 2550 S. Parker Road, Suite 500, Aurora, CO 80014 Keywords Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., "I Have a Dream" speech, racial equality, discrimination, prejudice, racism

Examine Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous "I Have a Dream" speech . Compare King's vision of racial equality in the U.S. to the reality of present-day life .

(CNN Student News) -- Students will investigate the contributions of Hispanic Americans to U.S. culture, and what it means to be an Hispanic in America today. Procedure Point out to students that Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15) celebrates the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, "September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. In addition, Mexico and Chile celebrate their independence days on September 16 and September 18, respectively." In observance of Hispanic Heritage Month, send student groups on a multimedia scavenger hunt to investigate how Hispanic Americans have contributed to U.S. culture, and the opportunities and challenges that exist for Hispanics in America today. Pose the following questions to guide students' research: 1. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, what is the estimated Hispanic population of the United States? What percent of the total U.S. population does this number represent? 2. What aspects of Hispanic culture can be found in the U.S? 3. Who are some Hispanic Americans who have had an impact in U.S. politics and government? 4. Who are some famous Hispanic-American musicians, artists, writers and actors? How have they impacted U.S. culture? 5. What Hispanic businesses exist in your community and other parts of the U.S.? How have these businesses contributed to the U.S. economy? 6. What issues have you seen or heard about in recent news that are of interest to the Hispanic community? Have groups share and discuss their findings with the class. Extension Instruct each student to interview several Hispanic-American teens and adults to get their responses to the following question: What would you like other Americans to know about what it means to be Hispanic in America today? Have students summarize the interviewees' responses and share them with the class. Correlated Standards Social Studies I. Culture Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity. V. Individuals, Groups and Institutions Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions. The Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/ are published by the National Council for Social Studies (http://www.socialstudies.org).

Students will investigate how Hispanic Americans have contributed to U.S. culture . Students will identify opportunities and challenges that exist for Hispanics in America .

(CNN Student News) -- Watch "Planet in Peril: Battle Lines" on Thursday, December 11, at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CNN, hosted by Anderson Cooper, chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and "The Oprah Winfrey Show" correspondent and National Geographic host Lisa Ling. CNN's award-winning series examines the environmental conflicts between growing populations and natural resources. After watching "Planet in Peril," use these questions to focus students' attention on the concepts explored in the program. Teachers: "Planet in Peril: Battle Lines" depicts environmental struggles in the real world. The scenes and accounts presented may not be appropriate for all students. Please determine whether this content is appropriate for your students. Bush meat and Zoonotic Viruses 1. What is bush meat? According to the program, what are some examples of bush meat? Why do people eat bush meat? 2. What are zoonotic viruses? What are some examples of zoonotic viruses described in the show? What is the relationship between bushmeat and zoonotic viruses? 3. According to the program, why are some people turning to wilderness areas for their food? In your opinion, is hunting bush meat different from hunting wild game in the United States? Explain your rationale. 4. What are some of the negative impacts of hunting bush meat on the local ecology? Do you think these environmental concerns should outweigh the demand for food in these villages? Explain. 5. What are some factors that might cause an increase in the spread of zoonotic viruses? What are some methods Dr. Nathan Wolfe has used to stop the spread of zoonotic viruses? In your opinion, how might scientists and policymakers prevent the spread of these diseases? Nigerian Oil 1. What valuable resource found in Nigeria generates billions of dollars in revenue? 2. Who is currently benefiting from the oil revenues? In your opinion, who should benefit from Nigeria's oil resources? Explain. 3. What is MEND? What is MEND's goal? How is MEND trying to achieve that goal? 4. Do you agree with MEND's tactics? If so, why? If not, why not? How would you address the issue? 5. What are some of the environmental challenges faced by the Nigerian communities surrounding the oil fields? In your opinion, who should be responsible for addressing these issues, and how should they be addressed? Shark Finning 1. According to the program, why do some people engage in shark fishing? What are some ways that people catch sharks? 2. What is shark finning? What are some of the markets for shark fins? How do humans use shark fins? Why are they so expensive? What do some fishermen do with the rest of the shark's body? 3. According to the program: What is the economic value of the fishing industry? What do you think shark fishermen might do if they were not allowed to hunt sharks? 4. How is the shark finning affecting the shark populations? In your opinion, should people care about the issue of shark finning? Why or why not? 5. What are Peter Knight and Wild Aid doing to try to stop the shark trade? Do you agree with Peter Knight's analogy when he says, "If it was Yellowstone Park and people were shooting up grizzlies, no one would ever get away with it," in reference to shark killings? Why or why not? In your opinion, should shark species be preserved? Why or why not? 6. How have some countries tried to regulate the shark-fishing trade? What are some of the challenges faced by those who regulate the industry? In your opinion, have they been successful? What more, if anything, could they do? 7. What might happen to the fishing industry if there are no more sharks to fish? What might happen to the ocean's ecosystems if the shark population becomes extinct? What effect could this have on the global economy? Shark Tourism 1. What is cage diving? According to

CNN's award-winning series explores conflicts between people, environment . Topics include zoonotic diseases, poaching, ecotourism, and shark finning . These questions focus on the concepts explored in the program .

(CNN Traveller) -- Natural beauty, outdoor living and fine dining -- Wendy Saunt crams one week's activities into one memorable day. Sydney's Opera House is recognized instantly the world over, but there are plenty of hidden gems to be found. 08.00: Chinese food for breakfast might seem like something you would only do with a hangover, but yum cha -- think Chinese tapas on trolleys -- is a Sydney tradition. Head down to China Town in Haymarket and take your pick -- East Ocean (421-429 Sussex Street) is a favorite with Sydneysiders. 09.00: Walk off your breakfast with some shopping. You will see many international designers and a plethora of great home-grown ones too, from Sass & Bide to Collette Dinnigan. Sieve through the grand Queen Victoria Building (known as the QVB) and David Jones department store in town, then head east across Hyde Park -- stopping off at the art deco Anzac war memorial ­-- towards Oxford Street, where there are some great boutiques. Sydney is also a good place to buy opals and pearls. 11.30: Continue east to the chi-chi 'old Sydney' suburbs of Paddington and Woollahra, where you will find some of the city's most beautiful architecture. Here the wrought iron balconies and the palm trees of the Victorian terrace houses lend the city a seductive, New Orleans feel. Stop for a coffee in one of the many fine coffee houses, then make your way up back up to Oxford Street and jump on the number 380 bus to Bondi. 12.30: For the best view of Bondi -- the quintessentialSydney beach -- get off the bus as it comes down the hill. From here, it is a short walk to Icebergs restaurant. From its vantage point on the coastal cliffs at the southern end -- overlooking the sweep of Bondi beach, the raging surf, and the gleaming white of the outdoor pool -- Icebergs is Sydney at its best. Tables at this renowned restaurant are hard to come by, so book ahead (www.idrb.com). After lunch, do the Bondi-to-Coogee coastal walk, which traces three bays -- Clovelly, Tamarama and Gordon's (a great snorkeling spot) -- and affords cliff-top views before finishing up, an hour or so later, at Coogee, a beach to the south. Once there, take your weary self down to Wylie's Baths, an outdoor sea water pool that has not changed since its inception in 1907, and get an al fresco massage (www.massagebythesea.com.au. From $25). 16.00: The best way to see the city -- which is laid out along the contours of a vast and beautiful natural harbor -- is from the air. Depending on your budget, you can take in the views from Sydney Tower (100 Market Street, $24.50), climb the Harbor Bridge (www.bridgeclimb.com, from $179), or charter a helicopter (www.sydneyhelicopters.com.au, from $180). If you want to see it from the 'ground', charter a yacht and join the harbor's fray (www.eastsail.com.au, from $625). 18.00: After a quick change, head down to Circular Quay for sun downers at the Opera Bar. With the Harbor Bridge to your left and the grand old Opera House to your right, it is easy to see why it is the place for evening drinks. House Brut is a steal at AUS$34 ($32); the bucket-sized portions of fries a snip at AUS$7 ($6.50). Do not be late, though -- the view here at dusk is enough to make you want to stay in Sydney forever. 19.00: While in the vicinity, see what is on at the Opera House -- there is a huge program, from world music to musicals too.(www.sydneyoperahouse.com). If that is not your scene, it is still worth taking a tour of the iconic building -- the last one is at 5pm, though ($32). 21.00: With Sydney famed for its cuisine, dining options are not in short supply. Billy Kwong's is one of the city's foremost places, dishing up vast portions of

Chinese food for breakfast -- yum cha -- is a Sydney tradition . Climb the Harbor Bridge for great views of the city . Dine at Tetsuya, ranked by Restaurant magazine as the 4th best in the world .

(CNN Traveller) -- When the Roman Emperor Hadrian came to power in 117AD he inherited an empire that was overstretched militarily and creaking at the seams. A massive bust of Hadrian's head unearthed only last year is part of the exhibition at the British Museum. One of his first acts was to pull the troops out of Mesopotamia, modern-day Iraq, a fact that is sure to resonate with visitors to the British Museum"s superb exhibition "Hadrian: Empire and Conflict" which opens on 24 July under the imposing classical dome of the Reading Room. Curator Torsten Opper says: "No matter what our take is on the conflict in Iraq today, we can relate to Hadrian's decision. Maybe 10 or 15 years ago, it wouldn't have mattered so much. Now it does." Hadrian was born in Rome to a noble family whose origins lay in Spain. One of the greatest of Rome's emperors, he consolidated imperial power, was a patron of architecture and travelled extensively across his lands. Though married, he also took a homosexual lover, Antinous, whose drowning in the river Nile on the very day Egyptians were celebrating the death in a similar manner of the god Osiris remains one of ancient history's great unsolved mysteries. The range of exhibits and their rarity means that this exhibition is going to be extremely well-attended. Visitors will, for example, be the first members of the public anywhere to see a huge head of the emperor that was dug up recently at Sagalassos in central Turkey and would have once crowned a statue that was over five metres high. "A year ago, this was still lying buried in the ground," says Opper. "It"s proof that Roman history isn't done and dusted; that we are still able to rethink the past and evaluate it." The exhibition brings together 180 objects, from 31 sources in 11 different countries. "It hasn't been an easy thing to do," adds Opper. "Many of these objects leave huge gaps in their home collection and many are extremely delicate. This isn't an exhibition that can travel. People will only be able to view it for these three months." Many of the most delicate objects are also those that give the most dramatic insight into Hadrian's reign. Between 132AD and 135/6AD the Jews of Judea rebelled against Roman rule. Some of the insurgents took refuge in a cave in the desert, called the cave of letters, in which they were trapped by Roman troops. Few made it out alive. The climatic conditions of the cave have preserved objects in astonishing condition. There is a letter written by Jewish leader Simon Bar Kokhba (enquiring about a delivery of supplies), as well as mirrors, a jewellery box and an astonishingly delicate glass plate, probably made in Alexandria, that somehow survived flight into the desert and the perilous climb up a cliff to the cave. Then there are three house keys, their wooden handles preserved, looking as if they would still open the locks for which they were made. Opper says: "They"re immediately touching -- these were used by people to lock their homes thinking they"d be back in a week or two, but of course they weren't -- they all perished. And there are still many refugees now who still have keys to the homes they once lived in. It"s a potent symbol of conflict." To the British Hadrian will always be associated with the wall that was built across northern England, an 117km rampart with a fortification every 1.6km. In schoolroom history this has traditionally been seen as a defence against the barbarian tribes to the north, but it wasn't necessarily so. "The wall was a ruthlessly efficient symbol of oppression and in the end it broke the back of the local tribes," says Opper. Confirmation of this, perhaps, comes from two small writing tablets from the fortress of Vindolanda, the oldest surviving hand-written documents in the British Isles. In one an officer, presumably writing to a colleague who is taking over his post, derides the

London exhibition based on Roman Emperor Hadrian features new treasures . Huge bust of Hadrian's head discovered only last year a feature . Emperor inherited a shambolic Roman empire and rebuilt it .

(CNN) -- China has killed 13,000 birds in the country's far northwest to control what it called an epidemic of bird flu, state media reported Tuesday. Since the end of 2003, the H5N1 virus has infected birds in over 60 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. Five hundred fowl that had died in the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region tested positive for the H5N1 virus, according to China's Ministry of Agriculture. In late January, China confirmed its sixth case of bird flu in a human. The ministry said at the time that, although further human bird flu cases were possible throughout China, there wouldn't be a large-scale outbreak, state run news agency Xinhua and CCTV reported. The country also announced it was setting up a nationwide network to test for the H5N1 virus. Following a bird flu outbreak in late January, India culled more than 4,000 birds in the remote northeastern state of Sikkim. Health officials also detected dozens of cases of upper respiratory infection among humans, but none of the patients had any history of handling sick poultry, a government spokesperson said. Sikkim borders Nepal and China. Since the end of 2003, the H5N1 virus has infected many species of birds in more than 60 countries in Africa, Asia and Europe. It has not been found in birds in North or South America or the Caribbean, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Human-to-human transmission of avian flu is rare, but the virus has passed from poultry to humans in some cases. It has killed more than 200 people since 2003. China reported its first human-to-human infection case in 2005. Of the 34 cases confirmed to date in the country, 23 had been fatal, the World Health Organization said in late January.

China kills 13,000 birds in northwest to control what it calls an epidemic of bird flu . 500 fowl that died in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region tested positive for H5N1 . In late January, China confirmed its sixth case of bird flu in a human . The virus has killed more than 200 people since 2003 .

(CNN) -- Two teams of scientists say they have found a key area of the H5N1 bird flu virus which seems to be vital to its ability to copy itself, and hope the discovery could lead to new drugs to fight the infection. Human-to-human transmission of avian flu is rare, but in some cases, the virus has passed from poultry to humans. The discovery is generating excitement among scientists who are looking for a new weapon against the bird flu virus that typically kills more than half its human victims. Two separate groups of scientists -- one in China, one in France -- used a highly technical process to identify protein that seems to be involved in its ability to replicate itself. That gives researchers a new target, as they try and develop new medications. The announcements, detailed in the British-based journal Nature, come at an uneasy time for those who follow the bird flu strain called H5N1. So far this disease is mainly affecting birds in some countries and the number of human cases remains small, but the virus has shown no sign of growing milder since it first infected people back in 1997. It continues to decimate bird flocks in sporadic outbreaks, mostly in Asia, and occasionally breaks into the human population. China's Ministry of Health reported eight human cases last month, including four deaths. Since 2003, the World Health Organization has confirmed 404 human cases worldwide. Nearly two-thirds of the victims have died. While H5N1 doesn't make headlines the way it did in 2005, health officials say the continuing severity of the infections means the alarm is still on. Influenza viruses, in general, spread easily. If H5N1 were to acquire the genetic ability to pass easily from person to person, it could turn into a major catastrophe. Many countries have stockpiled both vaccines and antiviral medications, for such a scenario. The same medications that are used to treat regular flu, oseltamivir (Tamiful) and zanamivir (Relenza), also seem to be effective against H5N1. But that's no reason to rest easy. All flu viruses tend to mutate rapidly, which is why the flu vaccine one year, won't protect you against the next year's flu. Those rapid mutations mean the virus tends to develop a resistance to any widely used medication. Dr. Anthony Fauci, Director of the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease, told CNN, "It always happens that eventually, sooner or later, the [flu] virus will develop varying degrees of resistance. You just hope that it's kept to a minimum." The findings in Nature may lead to another option to fight bird flu, but an actual new drug is years away. A vaccine could be effective, but they first have to know what strain of flu they're fighting. The current strategy of health officials around the world is to try to contain isolated cases before they spread. The best case scenario would be, that this H5N1 killer remains primarily a disease for the birds.

Experts say they have found key component of the H5N1 bird flu virus . It is hoped this will lead to better medication to fight the infection . China reported its first human-to-human infection in 2005 . Since 2003, the World Health Organization has confirmed 404 human cases .

(CNN) -- A fire at a karaoke bar and discotheque in Medan, in Indonesia's North Sumatra province, killed at least 20 people Friday night, according to a hospital. At least two people survived, according to Aida Sofiati of the Pringadi Hospital in Medan. Sofiati said 20 people were killed. Mohammad Zein, a fire official, said the blaze started around 10 p.m., but firefighters were able to extinguish it within a half-hour. He said the cause of the fire was not known.

Blaze hits karaoke bar and discotheque in Medan, in North Sumatra province . Medan hospital official says at least two people survived . Fire official: Fire started around 10 p.m., was extinguished within half-hour; cause isn't known .

(CNN) -- A search has been launched for a 50-year-old convicted rapist and suspect in the killings of six people whose bodies were found in and around a house in Cleveland, Ohio, police said Friday. The incident began unfolding a month ago, when a woman accused Anthony Sowell of rape and felonious assault, Cleveland Police spokesman Lt. Thomas Stacho told CNN. "Once we were able to get the cooperation of the victim, we secured an arrest warrant for Mr. Sowell and subsequently a search warrant for his premises," Stacho said. On Thursday, detectives from the department's sex-crimes unit and members of its SWAT team went to Sowell's home to execute the warrant and to arrest the suspect, but he was nowhere to be found, Stacho said. What they did find were the badly decomposed remains of two bodies on the third floor of the house, which is owned by an elderly relative of Sowell who did not live there, Stacho said. A subsequent search on Thursday revealed what appeared to be a freshly dug grave under the stairs in the basement, he said. On Friday, investigators returned to the house, dug up the grave and found a third body, he said. A further search of the house and property found two more bodies in a crawl space and a sixth body was found in a shallow grave outside the home, Stacho said. Read local coverage on CNN affiliate WJW None of the bodies has been identified, and the genders of only two -- those found on the third floor -- have been determined, he said. Both were female. "He apparently is a serial rapist," Stacho said about Sowell, who he said makes his living as a "scrapper." "He walks around and picks up scrap metal and takes it to junk yards to make a few pennies." Sowell was convicted for a 1989 rape for which he was imprisoned from 1990 to 2005, Stacho said. Authorities plan to continue their search of the house on Saturday.

Search launched for a convicted rapist, 50; he's suspect in six slayings . Bodies of six people found in and around a house in Cleveland, Ohio . None of the bodies has been identified; search of house to continue Saturday .

(CNN) -- A 20-year-old Wisconsin man accused of attacking the mayor of Milwaukee with a metal pipe has been arrested, police said Sunday. Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, seen in a file photo, was attacked Saturday night, police say. Mayor Tom Barrett was in stable condition Sunday at a Milwaukee-area hospital after he was attacked the night before at the Wisconsin State Fair in nearby West Allis, police said. Barrett was leaving the event with his family when he heard a woman crying for help, police said. When Barrett began calling 911, the man who had been attacking the woman charged at him and began battering him with a metal pipe, police said. "He not only risked serious injury but endured serious injury in order to defend somebody who was weaker than their assailant," Milwaukee Police Chief Edward Flynn told CNN Radio. Police arrested Anthony Peters in connection with the attack. Watch the mayor's brother talk about what happened » West Allis Police Chief Michael Jungbluth said the attack on the woman stemmed from a domestic situation, when an intoxicated Peters wanted to see his 1-year-old daughter, and had threatened to shoot himself and others. CNN's Chuck Johnston and CNN Radio's Shelby Erdman and Ninette Sosa contributed to this report.

NEW: Police arrested Anthony Peters, 20, in connection with the attack . Police: Man beat Mayor Tom Barrett with metal pipe at state fair on Saturday . Barrett heard a woman screaming and tried to help her, dialing 911 . Man who had been beating the woman then started hitting Barrett, police say .

(CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest.

Mexican police: Laura Zuniga, seven men face arms charges, federal probe . Zuniga, men found in vehicles with weapons, $50,000, police say . Zuniga won state beauty contest, finished third in national competition . She won "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" title in October .

(CNN) -- A 23-year-old Mexican beauty queen and seven men were taken into custody late Monday after being found in vehicles containing weapons and cash in central Mexico, police said Tuesday. Laura Zuniga and seven men were found in vehicles with guns and $50,000, Mexican police say. Laura Zuniga and the men were traveling in two vehicles that contained AR-15 assault rifles, handguns, cartridges and $50,000 in cash, said Luis Carlos Najera Gutierrez de Velazco, secretary of public security for the state of Jalisco. The eight were stopped in Zapopan, outside Guadalajara, and will face arms charges and an investigation by a federal organized crime team, Najera said. Police, who had received a tip that a group of armed men were in a home, "detected" the vehicles as they were traveling to investigate the call, Najera said. One of the men in the vehicles was 29-year-old Angel Orlando Garcia Urquiza, who is Zuniga's boyfriend and the brother of "one of the greatest capos of narcotraffic," Najera said. Najera said Urquiza's brother, Ricardo Garcia Urquiza, is a member of the Juarez cartel and already was in police custody. All eight were filed before the news media Tuesday. Zuniga, wearing blue jeans and a gray sweater, raised her handcuffed wrists to cover her face in a police picture. Zuniga is from Culiacan in the state of Sinaloa, a center of drug activity. In July, she won the title Nuestra Belleza Sinaloa. That gave her the right to compete two months later in the national Nuestra Belleza Mexico in Monterrey, where she won "The Election of the Queens," one of five special recognitions, and came in third overall. In October, she won the title "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. According to the Nuestra Belleza Mexico Web site, she is to represent Mexico in next year's Miss International contest.

Mexican police: Laura Zuniga, seven men face arms charges, federal probe . Zuniga, men found in vehicles with weapons, $50,000, police say . Zuniga won state beauty contest, finished third in national competition . She won "Hispanoamerican Queen 2008" title in October .

(CNN) -- A 400-year-old minaret collapsed Friday on worshipers in Meknes, Morocco, killing 36 and injuring 71, the official news agency Maghreb Arabe Presse reported, citing the Interior Ministry. The collapse occurred as hundreds of people were gathering in Bab Berdieyinne mosque in Meknes, a town in northern Morocco located 140 km (87 miles) southeast of Rabat, it said. "We were in the middle of prayers" when the structure collapsed, said one victim told Morocco TV from his hospital bed. The incident occurred after several days of unrelenting rain, the television station reported. It broadcast video showing dozens of people inside the mosque carrying survivors out of the damaged structure to waiting ambulances. King Mohammed VI has ordered that the mosque be rebuilt as soon as possible and that its original architecture be preserved, it said.

Minaret in Meknes, Morocco, was 400 years old . Incident came as worshipers were gathering in northern town . King ordered that mosque be rebuilt .

(CNN) -- A 47-year-old woman who became paralyzed after breaking her neck and back on a turbulent flight is developing some motion in her toes and regaining some sensation after two operations, her doctor said Wednesday. Dr. Trey Fulp, an orthopedic spine surgeon who performed the surgeries at McAllen Medical Center in McAllen, Texas, told CNN that the woman initially was paralyzed from the chest down. She underwent six hours of surgery Saturday and a more than five-hour operation late Tuesday, the surgeon said. "She is very brave and is talking," Fulp said. "If she walks again, I get the first dance." The woman was on Continental Flight 511 en route from Houston, Texas, to McAllen early Saturday, a one-hour trip that had been delayed more than three hours because of severe storms that barreled through the Houston area on Friday night. The woman's attorney, Ramon Garcia, said Tuesday that his client struck her head on the bathroom ceiling when the plane suddenly dropped during turbulence. "We have a lady who got out of her seat and went to the bathroom," Garcia said. "And while either in the bathroom or coming out of the bathroom is when this situation occurred." The woman was stretched out on the plane's floor for the remainder of the flight until paramedics could start treating her, the attorney said. Fulp said another physician was on the flight. When that doctor realized the woman couldn't get up, he held her until the flight landed 20 minutes later. Garcia said his client, a mother of three, did not want to be identified. Continental spokeswoman Mary Clark on Tuesday confirmed that the flight -- carrying 104 passengers and five crew members -- experienced turbulence and that two passengers and a crew member were transported to a hospital in McAllen. Clark said one passenger and the crew member were released, but the other passenger remains hospitalized. "Our focus is assisting the customer who is still in hospital and her family," Clark said. Seat belt lights were illuminated during the turbulence, the spokeswoman said. However, it's not clear whether the passenger was already out of her seat when the light came on or whether she ignored the light and got up to go to the bathroom. Federal aviation authorities are investigating. The Federal Aviation Administration said it's providing crucial flight information to the National Transportation Safety Board. CNN's Melanie Whitley and Ekin Middleton contributed to this report.

NEW: Woman has two operations after injuries led to paralysis, surgeon says . NEW: "She is very brave and is talking," surgeon says . Woman struck head on bathroom ceiling during turbulence on plane, lawyer says . Federal aviation authorities investigating flight from Houston to McAllen, Texas .

(CNN) -- A 6.7-magnitude earthquake hit near the Greek island of Crete on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It struck at 12:30 p.m. (5:30 a.m. ET), the USGS said. It was centered about 80 miles (130 kilometers) off the city of Iraklion on Crete, the USGS said. An earthquake with a 6.7 magnitude is capable of causing significant damage, especially in areas of poor construction. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. A staff member at Iraklion Airport told CNN they didn't feel the earthquake. Similar reports came from staff members at hotels just outside Iraklion and in western Crete. A spokesman at the Greek Ministry of Health in Athens, 450 kilometers (280 miles) from the epicenter, also said he didn't feel the quake. David Booth, a seismologist at the British Geological Survey, explained that the earthquake happened deep below the sea, leading to little risk of tsunami and reducing the likelihood that people would feel tremors. -- CNN's Claudia Rebaza and Krsna Harilela in London, England, contributed to this report.

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake hits near the Greek island of Crete . 6.7 quake can cause major damage, especially in areas of poor construction . No immediate word on casualties or damage .

(CNN) -- A 61-year-old pastor who was killed in a rural Oklahoma church was found lying behind the altar with her arms outstretched, a source close to the investigation told CNN. Carol Daniels, a 61-year-old pastor, was found nude behind the altar of a church in Anadarko, Oklahoma. It was one of the latest details to emerge in the killing of Carol Daniels, whose nude body was found in the Christ Holy Sanctified Church in Anadarko, Oklahoma, in a crime scene the district attorney described as "horrific." Her clothes were taken from the scene, and a dissolving agent had been sprayed around her body, the source said. An FBI profiler was brought in during the weekend to assist investigators, Steve Neuman, a spokesman for the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, said Monday. Authorities also have increased to $15,000 a reward for information. Daniels, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was found inside the church August 23. She died from "multiple sharp-force injuries," according to a preliminary autopsy report obtained by CNN. Sharp-force injuries mean cuts or stab wounds. Diagrams in the autopsy notes show Daniels suffered injuries to the side and back of her neck, her back and her left breast. She also suffered wounds to her hands, a typical spot for defensive wounds resulting from attempts to ward off an attack. In addition, the autopsy notes say a portion of Daniels' hair appeared singed or burned. The medical examiner classified her death as a homicide. Daniels' son, Alvin Daniels, told CNN that she traveled many Sundays to Anadarko, about 50 miles southwest of her home, to the church "in case people came to worship." Watch what the son has to say to Nancy Grace » District Attorney Bret Burns has called the crime scene the worst he'd seen in 17 years as a prosecutor but gave no further explanation. Jessica Brown, a spokeswoman for Oklahoma's State Bureau of Investigation, said last week the body was "staged" after the killing, but declined to elaborate. Meanwhile, Neuman said, video surveillance from a convenience store near the church is being analyzed, a process that started Friday. He declined to comment on the condition of Daniels' body when found. Alvin Daniels told HLN's "Nancy Grace" that his mother was "always joking with us and always taking care of us, even giving her last dollar, even if she didn't have it." He said she took precautions at the church. "She was very cautious for the most part, and she would usually leave the door open in case people came to worship," he said. The death has unnerved religious leaders in Anadarko, said Ted Mercer, pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship, which is about three blocks from the church where Daniels' body was found. CNN's Tracy Sabo contributed to this report.

Pastor Carol Daniels' clothes were removed from the crime scene, source says . Source: Dissolving agent had been sprayed around her body . FBI profiler brought in during the weekend to help with investigation . Authorities have increased to $15,000 a reward for information .

(CNN) -- A 7-year-old boy from El Paso, Texas, was gunned down across the border in the violent city of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, a spokesman for the Chihuahua state attorney general's office told CNN Tuesday. Raul Xazziel Ramirez had been visiting his father in Juarez on Friday evening when unknown gunmen fired on their vehicle at a roundabout, spokesman Arturo Sandoval said. At least 18 rounds from a 9 mm weapon were shot at the white 2000 Geo Tracker driven by Ramirez's dad, Sandoval said. The father, Raul Ramirez Alvarado, 35, died in the driver's seat. The younger Raul escaped from the vehicle, but was apparently shot in the back, Sandoval said. The boy's body fell forward in front of the vehicle. The shooting happened just before 8 p.m. Friday. No arrests had been made as of Tuesday, the spokesman said. Raul Xazziel Ramirez was a third-grader at Glen Cove Elementary School in El Paso, Ysleta Independent School District spokeswoman Patricia Ayala told CNN. "It's a senseless tragedy that we're trying to come to terms with," she said. According to El Paso County records, Raul was just three weeks shy of his eighth birthday when he was killed. The boy lived with his aunt and uncle in El Paso, Ayala said. It was the first semester that Raul was registered with the district. Raul's classmates were spared the details of his death, but the school was nonetheless shocked at the boy's passing. Grief counselors were made available for both students and teachers, Ayala said. More than 2,200 killings have been recorded this year in Ciudad Juarez, out of a population of approximately 1.5 million people. A bloody turf war between warring drug cartels that started last year has made the city one of the most violent in the world. According to statistics from local prosecutors, Ciudad Juarez records about 10 murders a day. The bloodiest month this year has been September, with 476 killings reported. The violence has not spilled over significantly across the border to El Paso, but as Friday's shooting showed, the pain of one of the sister cities is shared by the other. Because of the ongoing investigation, Sandoval declined to say whether drug cartel activity was suspected in the killings of Raul and his father, but added that at least 90 percent of the city's homicides are drug-related. Raul was not the youngest victim slain this year. In early 2009, a 3-year-old girl was killed together with her father inside a vehicle that was targeted, Sandoval said.

NEW: Raul Xazziel Ramirez was just three weeks shy of his eighth birthday, records show . Ramirez was killed Friday along with his father in Ciudad Juarez. The boy managed to escape the vehicle but was shot in the back, police say . More than 2,200 slain this year in Juarez; Ramirez was not the youngest .

(CNN) -- A 75th minute strike by striker Graziano Pelle gave AZ Alkmaar a 1-0 home win over NEC Nijmegen on Sunday to leave his side top of the Dutch standings. Italian star Pelle scored the winner to keep AZ on top heading into the Dutch break. The Italian's decisive goal means Louis van Gaal's men will head into 2009 with a three-point lead over Ajax Amsterdam after 17 rounds. The Eredivisie is set to resume on January 16 after a three-week break. Earlier, Dario Cvitanich scored a hat-trick as Ajax beat ADO Den Haag 3-0 to temporarily draw level on points with the leaders. But AZ, who are unbeaten in 15 games, then saw off Nijmegen, who had also been on a fine 14-game unbeaten run. AZ have 41 points, with Ajax on 38. Steve McClaren's FC Twente are in third place, seven points adrift of AZ, after holding defending champions PSV Eindhoven to a goalless draw on Saturday. PSV are fourth with 30 points and looking set to relinquish their league title. On Friday, Feyenoord snapped a run of three successive losses by beating NAC Breda 3-1, but the struggling Rotterdam giants are in 12th spot.

AZ Alkmaar beat NEC Nijmegen 1-0 in Dutch league game on Sunday . Alkmaar on top by three points from Ajax heading into midwinter break . Former Lecce striker Graziano Pelle scores crucial winner for AZ .

(CNN) -- A Delaware pediatrician pleaded not guilty Wednesday to 471 felony counts in the alleged child abuse of his patients, according to a spokeswoman for the state Department of Justice. Dr. Earl Bradley, 56, was arrested in December on charges that include rape, sexual exploitation of a child, endangering child welfare and assault. Bradley, who had a practice in Lewes, Delaware, is accused of victimizing 103 children -- all girls except for one boy. Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden has said the charges are based on "video and digital evidence" seized from Bradley's home and medical practice in December. Bradley also has medical licenses in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida. Authorities have said they have contacted officials in those states. The next step in the proceedings is a case review May 17, according to Kerry Angell, a spokeswoman for the Delaware Department of Justice.

Dr. Earl Bradley faces 471 felony counts, a state justice department spokeswoman said . Bradley, 56, is accused of victimizing 103 children . Delaware AG said charges are based on seized "video and digital evidence"

(CNN) -- A Dutch entrepreneur is hoping to construct the biggest indoor golf center in the world in the Netherlands which he believes will revolutionize the sport's leisure industry. The vast 18,000 square-meter bubble will house a plethora of golf practice facilities, including chipping greens, bunkers and water hazards. The latest golf simulators will offer the choice of the top golf courses in the world, plus a rooftop 34-bay driving range with the latest high-tech swing analysis. Add in a golf shop of over 1,000 square meters, a fitness and health center and a five-star hotel, restaurants and business conference facilities and the scale of the project becomes clear. The drawback is the €50 million ($66.59 million) price tag and a prominent site big enough to house a complex bigger than a major football stadium in a densely populated country. But Standing, who has patented the term Indoor Golf Arena and hopes to franchise the concept, is unabashed even during a global recession. "Traditional real estate developments and housing offices are suffering and investors are looking for alternatives in leisure which are becoming an increasingly attractive proposition," he told CNN. Standing also believes that the Netherlands, which has 350,000 golfers and an annual growth rate of over 10 per cent, not to mention excellent transport links to other parts of continental Europe, is the ideal location. "This is actually meant to put everything that makes golf a way of life under one roof," he said. He told CNN that two sites near The Hague and Rotterdam had been earmarked for the project and said he hoped to begin building in 2012 with "huge interest" among investors from the Middle East. The ambitious project also has the backing of the PGA of Europe and the Dutch golf federation. It is part of a trend which has seen the sport go inside with simulators enabling golfers of all standards to play the world's classic courses without stepping outside and in all weathers. In South Korea, where courses are at a premium and memberships expensive, the numbers of golf cafes with simulators have grown exponentially while London-based operator Urban Golf told CNN it is expanding fast. Virtual screens replace greens Marketing director David Richter says they have been successful because changes in lifestyle has put leisure time at a premium. "If you just want to have a quick game with friends you don't have to take a whole day out of your diary, you can do it in an hour," he said. Richter also believes that indoor operators have removed the barriers to playing at a traditional club. "You don't need to be a member or have a handicap certificate to play, there's no stuffy dress code or clubhouse rules." But whatever the advantages of indoor golf, will it replace the real thing ? Andy Calton, the Editor in Chief of Today's Golfer, says that simulators and state-of-the-art indoor centers may indeed replace the traditional driving range, but told CNN there was no substitute for the outdoor experience. "These places may well but the future of golf practice but as for being the future of golf, I'm not convinced," he said. "I still think people want to play on a real course and find their ball in real trees!" he added. Standing hopes his venture will boost golf standards in his native Netherlands with top players having access to the latest practice facilities, but also believes the model of traditional golf club membership is eroding as more and more players turn to a green fee-pay-and-play game. In that context, he believes his venture will flourish and he wants to franchise the idea around the world. "Indoor Golf Arena will be the place to be for every golfer," boasts the mission statement on the project's Web site, only time will tell whether the bubble will float or burst.

Planned indoor golf center in the Netherlands would be the biggest of its kind . The center would boast state-of-the-art facilities but carries a price tag of $66 million . Trends point to growing demand for indoor golf faciliteis or "virtual" golf . Traditionalists say golf will remain a predominantly outdoor game .

(CNN) -- A Jersey City, New Jersey, police officer shot in the line of duty last week died of his injuries Tuesday, a day before his 38th birthday, a spokeswoman for the city's mayor announced. Police officers gather at the site of a shootout in Jersey City, New Jersey, on Thursday. Jennifer Morrill said Officer Marc DiNardo, who was wounded last Thursday in a shootout, passed away Tuesday morning. Jersey City Police Chief Thomas Comey told reporters Monday night that DiNardo was not expected to live. DiNardo was one of five officers injured early Thursday as they moved in for a tactical entry into an apartment where a shooting suspect and another person were holed up. Officials say the officers were met with gunfire, and a shootout ensued. Both suspects were killed, and DiNardo suffered two gunshot wounds to the face. Melissa Bartholomew, a family friend and fellow police officer, read a statement Monday from DiNardo's family, which includes his wife Mary, three young children and his parents. She said DiNardo, whose 38th birthday is Wednesday, had a personality that no one could forget. "Marc was not a selfish man. He was a moral man; a man who gave himself for those who couldn't care for themselves," she said. DiNardo's family plans to donate his organs, said Joe Scott, president of LibertyHealth and its Jersey City Medical Center. "This unselfish act will live on in the lives that Marc will impact through organ donation." Officer Michael Camacho, who was also wounded in the shootout, was upgraded from critical to serious condition and moved out of the intensive care unit, Scott said Monday. Camacho was shot in the neck during the gun battle. The other three officers were treated at a hospital and released.

Marc DiNardo was one of five officers injured in New Jersey shootout last week . Two suspects were killed in shootout; DiNardo was shot twice in face . DiNardo's family plans to donate his organs, medical center's president says .

(CNN) -- A Malaysian model, who was set to become the first woman to be caned in the southeast Asian country for drinking beer in public, had her sentence postponed Monday until the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno's punishment is unique in that she has opted to go through with it. Authorities had picked up Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 32, from her father's house Monday morning and were taking her to a prison in the eastern state of Pahang when the van turned around and brought her back. "They sent her back to the house. They said the top official asked them not to bring her to Kuala Lumpur," said Kartika's father, Shukarno Abdul Muttalib. Authorities in Pahang said the delay would run until the month of fasting ends. Monday was the third day of Ramadan. An Islamic, or sharia, court in Pahang had fined Kartika -- a Muslim -- $1,400 (5,000 Malaysian ringgit) and sentenced her to six strokes with a rattan cane for drinking at a hotel bar two years ago. Kartika, a 32-year-old part-time model and mother of two, was visiting Malaysia from Singapore at the time. She pleaded guilty, paid the fine, and wanted her caning to be carried out in public. Watch more on Kartika's release » She said she lost her job as a nurse in Singapore and took up part-time modeling to support her husband in raising their two children. Her son has cerebral palsy; her daughter a heart condition. "I want to move on. This case has been hanging over me for a long time," she told CNN last week. On Monday morning, Kartika hugged her children, bade a tearful goodbye to the throngs of people gathered at her father's house, and boarded the van. She was to be taken to a prison on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. The caning would have been carried out within seven days of that, making her the first woman to be caned in Malaysia under sharia law. Kartika's punishment is unique in that she has opted to go through with it. Two other Malaysians sentenced to the same fate have filed appeals, the Syariah (Sharia) Lawyers' Association of Malaysia said. The case drew widespread attention and condemnation, in and outside Malaysia. The moderate Muslim country has a dual-track justice system, in which Islamic courts operate alongside civil courts. Muslims -- who make up about 60 percent of the 28 million who populate the country -- are forbidden from consuming alcohol. Other religious groups are exempt. Though caning is used as a supplementary punishment in Malaysia for at least 40 crimes, such as rape or immigration violations, it is not meted out by Malaysia's civil court for alcohol consumption. But the country's civil system also cannot overrule a sharia court sentence. In this respect, Kartika would have been the first woman to be caned for violating the country's religious laws. "Regardless of whether or not such penalties fall under Syariah law or civil law, we believe that these should be repealed, as they go against the fundamental human right to be free from torture and violence," said Haslinah Yaacob, vice president for the All Women's Action Society. CNN's Anna Coren in Sungi Siput, Malaysia, contributed to this report.

NEW: Kartika Shukarno, a model, has sentence delayed until end of Ramadan . Kartika was set to be first woman to be caned in Malaysia for drinking in public . She pleaded guilty, paid a fine, and wanted her caning to be carried out in public . Islamic law dictates caning Muslims seen drinking alcohol; case caused uproar .

(CNN) -- A Malaysian model, who was set to become the first woman to be caned in the southeast Asian country for drinking beer in public, had her sentence postponed Monday until the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno's punishment is unique in that she has opted to go through with it. Authorities had picked up Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 32, from her father's house Monday morning and were taking her to a prison in the eastern state of Pahang when the van turned around and brought her back. "They sent her back to the house. They said the top official asked them not to bring her to Kuala Lumpur," said Kartika's father, Shukarno Abdul Muttalib. Authorities in Pahang said the delay would run until the month of fasting ends. Monday was the third day of Ramadan. An Islamic, or sharia, court in Pahang had fined Kartika -- a Muslim -- $1,400 (5,000 Malaysian ringgit) and sentenced her to six strokes with a rattan cane for drinking at a hotel bar two years ago. Kartika, a 32-year-old part-time model and mother of two, was visiting Malaysia from Singapore at the time. She pleaded guilty, paid the fine, and wanted her caning to be carried out in public. Watch more on Kartika's release » She said she lost her job as a nurse in Singapore and took up part-time modeling to support her husband in raising their two children. Her son has cerebral palsy; her daughter a heart condition. "I want to move on. This case has been hanging over me for a long time," she told CNN last week. On Monday morning, Kartika hugged her children, bade a tearful goodbye to the throngs of people gathered at her father's house, and boarded the van. She was to be taken to a prison on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. The caning would have been carried out within seven days of that, making her the first woman to be caned in Malaysia under sharia law. Kartika's punishment is unique in that she has opted to go through with it. Two other Malaysians sentenced to the same fate have filed appeals, the Syariah (Sharia) Lawyers' Association of Malaysia said. The case drew widespread attention and condemnation, in and outside Malaysia. The moderate Muslim country has a dual-track justice system, in which Islamic courts operate alongside civil courts. Muslims -- who make up about 60 percent of the 28 million who populate the country -- are forbidden from consuming alcohol. Other religious groups are exempt. Though caning is used as a supplementary punishment in Malaysia for at least 40 crimes, such as rape or immigration violations, it is not meted out by Malaysia's civil court for alcohol consumption. But the country's civil system also cannot overrule a sharia court sentence. In this respect, Kartika would have been the first woman to be caned for violating the country's religious laws. "Regardless of whether or not such penalties fall under Syariah law or civil law, we believe that these should be repealed, as they go against the fundamental human right to be free from torture and violence," said Haslinah Yaacob, vice president for the All Women's Action Society. CNN's Anna Coren in Sungi Siput, Malaysia, contributed to this report.

NEW: Kartika Shukarno, a model, has sentence delayed until end of Ramadan . Kartika was set to be first woman to be caned in Malaysia for drinking in public . She pleaded guilty, paid a fine, and wanted her caning to be carried out in public . Islamic law dictates caning Muslims seen drinking alcohol; case caused uproar .