Car Tech »

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  HP iPAQ 312 Travel Companion

  It may not be entirely rational buying a GPS for its beautiful screen and multimedia features, but the 312 almost makes the case despite its numerous bugs and flaws.

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  Smart ForTwo cabrio (2008)

  Its two-seat configuration limits its appeal to just a few. That's a shame because Australia's cheapest convertible is loveable, unique and deserving of a wider audience.

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  Gran Turismo 5 Prologue

  Gran Turismo 5 Prologue may be only a practice lap for the real thing, but it's a beautiful joyride while it lasts.

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  Belkin TuneCast Auto with ClearScan

  The TuneCast Auto is easy to use and produces clear sound. Just watch you don't run anyone over while scanning for decent frequencies.

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  Smart fortwo coupe (2008)

  We've taken the second-gen Smart fortwo for a quick spin and, although the diminutive city runabout has grown up, expanding in all directions, it's surprisingly peppy around town.

More reviews »

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  Best in-car GPS navigators

  All brand name GPS units will get you safely from A to B, but some do it better than others. We nominate three navigators we'd junk our Gregory's or Melway for.

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  Four phone-less PDAs

  They're a pretty rare breed nowadays but phone-less PDAs have their advantages. We track down four of the best.

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  HP expands iPAQ range with business users in mind

  HP has reinvigorated its iPaq handheld range with the launch of five new devices and a host of software programs, accessories, and services designed to attract business users.

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  Father's Day Gift Guide

  Sure, you can always go the tie or cologne route (again), but if you want to really put a smile on Dad's dial, make sure the present he unwraps has tech inside.

More review round-ups »

• Nokia N95

  If you need an all-in-one communications, navigation and imaging device and don't mind charging it every night, Nokia's N95 raises the bar in the mobile world.

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  Navman S50

  This GPS is blessed with a good price and attractive design but is marred by its buggy Bluetooth and horrible windshield mount.

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  TomTom Go 720

  Don't let its beautiful body tempt you, the TomTom Go 720 is both too pricey and too buggy. The cliche "beauty is only skin deep" is particularly apt here.

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  Navman S30

  This good looking, entry-level GPS is let down by design niggles -- chief amongst which is the car charger, windscreen mount combo.

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  Navman S80

  No not the Volvo, this S80 is part of Navman's S-Series GPS range. The S80 comes packed with a 4.3-inch touch screen, text-to-speech, NavPix and Bluetooth hands-free.

More popular reviews »

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  Logitech G25 Racing Wheel

  Fancy yourself as a virtual racing driver? This leather-clad, brushed metal extravaganza will transform you from Mark Webber into Stirling Moss.

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  Mio DigiWalker C320

  Mio's C320 GPS provides a good balance between affordability and features.

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  Mio DigiWalker C520

  Bluetooth, text-to-speech, massive screen and good looks make the C520 a good GPS. Its great price transforms it into a great GPS.

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  Nokia N95

  If you need an all-in-one communications, navigation and imaging device and don't mind charging it every night, Nokia's N95 raises the bar in the mobile world.

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  Navman S80

  No not the Volvo, this S80 is part of Navman's S-Series GPS range. The S80 comes packed with a 4.3-inch touch screen, text-to-speech, NavPix and Bluetooth hands-free.

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  Navman S90i

  We'd love to heartily endorse the S90i but, like the spurned high school prom queen in every slasher flick ever made, its surface beauty is marred by intermittent spurts of insanity, and so we can't.

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  Navman S50

  This GPS is blessed with a good price and attractive design but is marred by its buggy Bluetooth and horrible windshield mount.

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  TomTom Go 720

  Don't let its beautiful body tempt you, the TomTom Go 720 is both too pricey and too buggy. The cliche "beauty is only skin deep" is particularly apt here.

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  Navman S30

  This good looking, entry-level GPS is let down by design niggles -- chief amongst which is the car charger, windscreen mount combo.

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  Subaru's Stella electric car concept

  Subaru has announced a follow-up to its "so cute you want to pinch its cheeks" R1e electric mini-car, a concept built on the boxy Stella city car.

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  Sydney and Brisbane to get traffic messaging Suna rather than later

  GPS navigators routing around traffic is common in Europe and North America and, finally, it's going to hit the big time in Australia too.

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  Be like the Hoff: Mio's Knight Rider GPS

  For children of the '80s, Mio's Knight Rider GPS complete with the voice of KITT — not to mention flashing red lights — may be the greatest invention since the three day weekend. Shame it's U.S. only.

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  New TomTom One, XL and Go 930 are sharing and caring

  TomTom has whipped the covers off three new portable GPS devices — the One, XL and Go 930 — as well as announcing the availability of traffic messaging by the end of July.

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  Asus' Lamborghini phone takes design award

  Ferrari may preen for the most attention, but Lamborghini is the auto house that gets the bragging rights for now.

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  Hungarian concept car is super-light and super-ecological

  The prototype new car can reach 140 kilometres per hour while only consuming between 1.5 and two litres of ethanol per 100 kilometres.

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  Algae farm in Mexico to produce ethanol in 2009

  Rather than squeeze algae for its oil, like other companies are proposing, Algenol wants to turn each algae cell into a tiny ethanol factory.

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  Toyota to make plug-in hybrid by 2010

  Toyota plans to produce lithium-ion batteries next year for a plug-in hybrid vehicle available in 2010.

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  Toyota to build hybrid Camry in Australia from 2010

  Toyota today confirmed that it will produce a hybrid version of its Camry sedan in Australia from 2010.

More news »

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  Ford's new Focus XR5 Turbo goes kinetic

  Ford has given the hero car of its Focus range, the XR5 Turbo, a "kinetic" makeover, however, the rest of the range will have to wait.

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  New Honda Accord Euro edges into town

  The first Euro did much to revive the Accord nameplate; the new, edgier second-gen model aims to continue that success.

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  Ferrari pimps the Motorola RAZR2 V9

  Forget phones that mimic a Ferrari car, here's the real (cross-branded) deal — the Motorola RAZR2 V9 Ferrari Special Edition.

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  HSV W427: AU$150k of Aussie beef

  HSV's W427 looks set to be not just the most powerful Aussie-made car but also its most expensive.

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  Hummer, Cadillac and Cosmo phones

  Are you an ardent fan of Hummer's H-series four-wheel drives, Cadillac's sleek CTS sedan or Cosmo's sealed section? Well now you can get a mobile phone that's dressed and styled just like your favourite four-wheeler or magazine.

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  Honda FCX Clarity: first hydrogen fuel-cell car rolls off the production line

  The first production hydrogen fuel-cell car, the FCX Clarity, has rolled down Honda's Japanese assembly line. Is it, or something like it, the future of driving?

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  Volkswagen's newest Hymotion is a hydrogen fuel-cell Tiguan

  Volkswagen's fourth generation fuel-cell research vehicle is based around the new Tiguan mini-4WD. Hydrogen is used to create electricity, which powers the car's electric drive motor. There's also a lithium-ion battery pack for extra electricity storage.

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  Photos: GINA concept shows BMW's light side

  BMW's design group has come up with a concept to conceptualise their most radical thoughts on car making. Behold the GINA Light Visionary Model!

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  Photos: Porsche gives 911 a serious tech update

  Porsche has refreshed its iconic 911 model. The most significant changes, though, are under the skin with its new navigation system and dual-clutch transmission the headline acts.

More features »

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  Oi!: Poll: Will Top Gear Australia meet its great expectations?

  Last night SBS announced its choice of hosts for the Australian version of Top Gear: Charlie Cox, Warren Brown and Steve Pizzati. Take our poll and let us know how you think they'll fare.

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  Oi!: Brand Tags' clouds cut through marketing hype

  CEOs and marketing types talk about improving or maintaining "brand values" all the time. But what do we really think of the companies that deliver us our modern existence? The site Brand Tags is attempting to find out.

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  Oi!: Robo-lawnmower goes hybrid

  Sure, your neighbour may have already put in his order for the next year's hybrid coupe, but what's he using to mow the lawn?

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  Oi!: 2008, the year of on-foot GPS navigation?

  Two upcoming products, the Nokia 6210 Navigator and Navteq's Discover Cities, have got us wondering whether 2008 will be the year when on-foot satellite navigation finally comes of age.

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  Oi!: Poll: Rate Ford's FG Falcon

  At the 2008 Melbourne Motor Show, Ford presented its upcoming Falcon to the public for the first time. We'd like show-goers to give us their opinion.

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  Oi!: Vodafone Compass leads the way to cheap petrol

  Vodafone's latest version of its Compass GPS system allows users to find cheap petrol nearby. Will this be the feature that moves GPS in mobile phones beyond the novelty phase?

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  Oi!: Get a Nokia with your Renault

  Renault has announced a special edition of its Twingo small car, the Twingo Nokia, complete with complementary 6110 Navigator and naff decals.

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  Oi!: Cop cars getting smarter too

  It might not exactly be KITT from Knight Rider, but the new high-tech police car on display in Melbourne will make the GPS devices and Bluetooth adapters proliferating in consumer automobiles look positively humble.

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  Oi!: Hitachi's plan B: upgrade GPSes

  Just nine months after entering the portable GPS fray, Hitachi have announced that its two model line-up will be refreshed in mid-August.

More oi! »

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  Best in-car GPS navigators

  All brand name GPS units will get you safely from A to B, but some do it better than others. We nominate three navigators we'd junk our Gregory's or Melway for.

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  Photos: CNET.com.au at Melbourne's F1 Grand Prix

  A Formula 1 weekend in Melbourne is all about cars and racing. And while our seats weren't perfect for capturing race action, we did manage to snap lots of interesting metal.

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  CNET.com.au's GPS Buying Guide

  Prices for GPS devices have come down in the last year and many of us are looking at jumping on the bandwagon. We take a look at how it works, why you should (or shouldn't) buy a GPS, as well as key features to look out for.

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  Photos: R35 Nissan GT-R

  Nissan's GT-R has always offered Porsche beating performance for less but now, with its Australian release confirmed for 2009, it's got the looks to match.

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  Subaru's Stella electric car concept

  Subaru has announced a follow-up to its "so cute you want to pinch its cheeks" R1e electric mini-car, a concept built on the boxy Stella city car.

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  Ferrari pimps the Motorola RAZR2 V9

  Forget phones that mimic a Ferrari car, here's the real (cross-branded) deal — the Motorola RAZR2 V9 Ferrari Special Edition.

• 

  New Honda Accord Euro edges into town

  The first Euro did much to revive the Accord nameplate; the new, edgier second-gen model aims to continue that success.

• 

  New TomTom One, XL and Go 930 are sharing and caring

  TomTom has whipped the covers off three new portable GPS devices — the One, XL and Go 930 — as well as announcing the availability of traffic messaging by the end of July.

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  Asus' Lamborghini phone takes design award

  Ferrari may preen for the most attention, but Lamborghini is the auto house that gets the bragging rights for now.

• PDA shopping checklist

• GPS buying guide