In 1998 General Motors purchased the brand name and marketed three vehicles: the original Hummer H1, based on the military High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV, or Humvee), and the Hummer H2 and the Hummer H3 models that were based on other, smaller civilian-market GM platforms

The business viability of the Hummer brand was under review by GM management since 2008. The brand was not transferred to Motors Liquidation Company as part of the GM bankruptcy in 2009; instead, it was retained by GM in order to investigate selling the brand

Chinese automaker Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Company announced in 2009 that it would acquire the Hummer brand, pending government approvals. However, the Chinese industrial equipment maker withdrew its bid after failing to win approval from Chinese regulators.According to Reuters, the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China rejected the deal on February 24, 2010,but a spokesperson for ministry denies that it rejected the application that has been stalled for eight months.

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Singapore – Research In Motion (RIM) (NASDAQ: RIMM; TSX: RIM) today announced the new BlackBerry  Curve  3G, an exciting addition to the popular BlackBerry Curve series of smartphones. Designed to provide the growing mass of smartphone purchasers with a distinctly powerful, approachable and affordable choice, the BlackBerry Curve 3G supports high-speed 3G (HSDPA) networks around the world and gives users the exceptional communications features they need to accomplish more than ever, when they’re at home, at work and everywhere in-between.

“The BlackBerry Curve 3G is both an accessible and feature-rich smartphone, which will be popular with customers in Singapore who highly value communications and productivity tools that help them get ahead of their day. With the ability to connect to 3G and Wi-Fi networks, users can access information and communicate quickly with the people that matter most, as well as take advantage of useful features like built-in GPS to share their location on BBM and social networking sites,” said Gregory Wade, Managing Director, South East Asia, RIM.

The BlackBerry Curve 3G smartphone features a comfortable full-QWERTY keyboard for fast, accurate typing, optical trackpad for fluid navigation, built-in GPS and Wi-Fi, as well as dedicated media keys, so music lovers can easily access their tunes while on the go. The new smartphone also features a camera that can record video and a microSD/SDHC slot that supports up to 32 GB memory cards for media storage. Support for 3G networks makes browsing faster, streaming music smoother, and gives users the ability to talk on the phone while they browse the web or instant message with BBM (BlackBerry Messenger).

Source by na.blackberry.com

Reports yesterday alleged that Facebook is developing smartphone software, according to a “source with knowledge of the project”.

Yesterday TechCrunch, a technology specialist site, ran a saying the company was developing mobile phone software, citing a “source with knowledge of the project”.

Technology blog Techcrunch reported: “Facebook is building a mobile phone, says a source who has knowledge of the project. Or rather, they’re building the software for the phone and working with a third party to actually build the hardware. Which is exactly what Apple and everyone else does, too…”

The report added: “Specifically, Facebook wants to integrate deeply into the contacts list and other core functions of the phone. It can only do that if it controls the operating system.”

However, Facebook has denied the reports to several other sites, which followed up the story, telling CNET: “Facebook is not building a phone. Our view is that almost all experiences would be better if they were social, so integrating deeply into existing platforms and operating systems is a good way to enable this.”

Business Insider, using information from a “plugged-in Silicon Valley source”, has also claimed that Facebook is developing smartphone software and is using Google’s Android operating system as the basis.

Scott Ard, a writer for the site, said: “This means that Google is now essentially helping Facebook attempt to destroy Google!…The big picture is that Facebook wants to be more a mobile platform, not just a service or an app.”

Earlier this year Google entered the mobile phone market with the Nexus One. However, after disappointing sales, it stopped selling the model via its web-only store.

Last week, Facebook launched Places, a location-sharing tool, in the UK.

Source by telegraph.co.uk

The new-look Twitter.com website will feature a multimedia pane, containing videos and photos that can be viewed from within the browser while also reading tweets

The new-look Twitter.com website, which was unveiled last night, features a new viewing ‘pane’ that will display videos and photos, shared through Twitter by its users, directly within the homepage.

Previously, users had to click away from Twitter.com to view pictures and video on third-party sites, such as TwitPic or yFrog. The images and videos will be displayed alongside tweets from a user’s Twitter stream.

The new-look website, which will roll-out to users in the coming days, could help to make the Twitter.com homepage more attractive to users. Currently, many Twitter users use third-party applications, such as TweetDeck or Twitter for iPhone, to access the microblogging service. But an overhaul to the Twitter site could persuade more users to update their status and interact with other users that way.

“It’s about getting more out of Twitter in a lot less time,” said Evan Williams, Twitter’s chief executive.

Twitter has reached agreements with a number of third-party providers of Twitter photo- and video-sharing to integrate their services directly in to Twitter.com. Companies such as TwitPic, yFrog, Ustream, Vimeo and YouTube have all signed up to the service.

“Improving consumption of Twitter-based content is important not just for Twitter, but for interactive marketers as well,” said Augie Ray, social media analyst at Forrester Research.

Around 90 million tweets are sent on the microblogging service every day.

1. Mafia II (-1)

The open-world template which Mafia II uses to tell its tale may be showing its age, but it doesn’t get in the way of one enjoying 2K’s epic tale of organised crime. The game’s compelling narrative, stunning action setpieces and beautifully realised game world envelope the player, drawing them in and refusing to let go. Mafia II is certainly not a contender for GTA’s crown, and as was the case with its predecessor, it’s not trying to be. From its opening look at a child growing up in poverty to its closing snapshot, themes of gain and sacrifice, of loyalty and betrayal, are always at the forefront.

2. Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 video game review (▲10)

An arcade flight sim aimed at the fan base of Top Gun rather than the hardcore, Tom Clancy’s H.A.W.X. 2 is still a challenging and enjoyable affair. The story is convoluted and nonsensical and mission design is lacking in places but the core dogfighting action is top notch. It also boasts a co-op four-player mode which, if your mates are willing to put the work in, is the most fun you can have while yelling: “There’s a bogey on my tail!!”

3. Kane & Lynch 2: Dog Days (▼ 2)

Proving once and for all you can’t keep a bad man (or two) down, inept professional criminals Kane and Lynch return for a new adventure, Dog Days. This time around the action is set in Shanghai and involves the pair fleeing for their lives after accidentally killing the daughter of a particularly nasty Triad boss. The game’s visual style establishes new levels of grit: all the action is presented as though it was filmed by someone carrying a knackered camera phone and then uploaded to YouTube. The visuals are grainy and lo-fi, and when the action moves, the camera shakes as it follows it. The run and gun action is fast and furious and the multiplayer mode offers a satisfying experience in which players can betray each other during heists and bag a bigger share of loot.

4. Toy Story 3 (-4)

The video game tie-in for Pixar’s latest movie featuring Woody and Buzz Lightyear bucks the trend for games of this type by being actually rather good. The game’s story mode will delight fans of the film and gamers alike, but it’s the game’sToy Box mode which makes it truly shine. Players plop down in a free-roaming expanse of dust land based on Woody’s Roundup, the fictional cowboy town seen in the films and take on the job of sheriff, helping out Mayor Hamm and the townsfolk while expanding the settlement; building schools, barbers and banks. This is game that understand the essence of fun better than most children’s games, and is has enough content to keep adults glued to it too.

5. Tetris Party Deluxe (New entry)

Tetris Party Deluxe expands on the formula that was introduces as WiiWare almost two years ago. Up to four players can take part in over 18 different game modes which offer interesting and challenging spins on Tetris’s classic puzzle template. They can also battle away online, although this mode limits the game-types they can take part in. The game’s presentation and music is a little lacklustre but it’s core gameplay is just as addictive and enjoyable as it was when it was first released nearly thirty years ago.

6. Spider-Man: Shattered Dimensions (New entry)

What’s better than a game starring your friendly neighbourhood Spider Man? How about a game starring four of them? In this new release, players take on the roles of four different versions of the web-head, from four very different universes. Each offers a different take on Spider Man, in terms of his costume, his enemies and the way in which he uses his powers. It’s all tied together by a plot that’s as joyously silly as it is impressively engrossing. A must for Marvel fans and gamers alike.

7. Kingdom Hearts: Birth By Sleep (New entry)

The universes of Disney and Final Fantasy may never have been the most likely of companions, but Kingdom Hearts proves time and again that the odd couple really does work. This time, three different heroes take a jaunt through the worlds of Disney, meeting up with classic characters such as Snow White and Peter Pan. Everything from the combat to the platforming has been lovingly recreated in handheld form, making this prequel a surefire hit for Kingdom Hearts fans and proving the PSP still has some life in it yet.

8. R.U.S.E. (New entry)

Set during the Second World War, R.U.S.E. is an RTS game which puts as much of a premium on fooling your opponent as it does on marshalling troops and units. Both sides have the ability to spy on each other, as well as spread disinformation about their tactical strengths and weaknesses. The interface is pared down to make the game accessible via console control pads and it also supports the PS Move, for those PS3 owners fortunate enough to own one. The campaign is solid and entertaining but it’s really in the multiplayer where R.U.S.E. really shines; pitting your wits against another human, rather than the easily fooled AI, both ratchets up the tension and makes every victory all the more sweet.

9. Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (▲10)

Released to conincide with the arrival of the Jerry Bruckheimer-helmed movie, Prince Of Persia: The Forgotten Sands isn’t an official movie tie-in – even though the Prince bears a startling resemblance to Jake Gyllenhaal and even borrows his wardrobe from the film. Rather, this entry aims at recapturing the magic of the series high-water mark, Sands Of Time from the days of the PS2. The platforming is exciting and well handled and even if the combat is a little tepid at time, the game’s sense of pace is superb. It may rely a little too heavily on the franchise’s past glories, but The Forgotten Sands is still a solidly entertaining game in its own right.

10. Red Dead Redemption (▼5)

Who would have thought that the next great Western would arrive in the form of a video game? Red Dead Redemption would be easy enough to recommend on the strength of its plot and characters alone, but Rockstar’s latest open-world adventure impresses on several other levels too. The sheer scope of activities on offer boggle the mind and the multiplayer is essentially an MMO bolted to a lengthy campaign mode. An awe-inspiring package on every level.

Source by telegraph.co.uk

Google has launched a two-day livestreaming trial on its video-sharing website, YouTube

Source by telegraph.co.uk

Comeback kid: Nokia’s new N8 could be set to launch a fightback by the company

The N8, first announced in April, will finally be available to consumers on 1 October, Nokia has disclosed. The smartphone, based on the Symbian 3 operating system, includes a 12mp camera and will be available from Carphone Warehouse, O2, Orange, Phones4u, T-Mobile, Tesco Phone Shops, Three Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Vodafone.

Nokia is pinning its hopes on the N8 and the forthcoming N9 to challenge the dominance of Apple and Google in the profitable smartphone area. Although Nokia continues to be the world’s largest producer of mobile phones, its dominance is increasingly limited to the developing world, as Apple and manufacturers making phones for Google’s Android operating system take an increasing part of the Western mobile market. Many African markets, however, are increasingly using phones made by Chinese manufactuers such as ZTE, so Nokia’s share is being squeezed on several fronts.

The open-source Symbian 3 allows personalised home screens and multitasking of apps, and the N8 also features an HDMI interface for connection to a TV, an AMOLED touchscreen and Dolby Digital Plus surround sound. Although Symbian 3 offers social networking integration, no major features have yet been demonstrated that are not available on other operating systems, or in some instances on other Nokia handsets. The N8, for instance, does not feature DLNA wireless media streaming, so its HD content must be connected physically to a TV for playback; Nokia’s N95, however, does feature impressive DLNA capabilities.

Nokia also bundles free satnav capabilities, as it does with all its new phones, via the Ovi Maps tool, and access to the Ovi Store for applications to expand the phone’s capabilities. The device can also access web TV, and function as an MP3 music player for up to 50 hours.

The N8 will retail for £429, or be offered free on £35 per month tariffs. Nokia’s N9 handset will be the company’s first to be based on the newer MeeGo operating system; details are expected to be announced next week at the Nokia World Summit in London.

Source by telegraph.co.uk

DS4 is the second model in Citroen’s trendy DS range

Cloaked in sleek, coupé-esque lines, the five-seat, five-door Citroen DS4 follows in the tyre-tracks of the DS3 launched last year and is claimed to combine a blend of “creativity, dynamism, exclusivity and versatility”.

In practice this means a graceful, slightly raised (Citroen says “taut”) silhouette, the exterior enhanced with understated use of chrome and the interior benefiting from “premium” cabin materials including leather seats. Other notable features are a large, panoramic windscreen and – in a nod to the coupé-like lines – door handles cleverly integrated into the body’s lines on the rear doors.

Citroen says that the DS4 will come with a choice of five engines ranging from 110-200bhp, including two HDi diesels. The firm’s engineers promise sophistication and refinement as well as agile on-road handling, along with a capacious 370-litre boot.

The DS signature on the bonnet is complemented by LED lights around the front fog lights and Citroen’s famous chevrons are cleverly incorporated into the front grille.

Inside, chrome-surround dials are focused towards the driver’s eye-line and owners can personalise their cars with a choice of five leather combinations including two-tone options. Massaging seats will be available and occupants will be able to choose from four polyphonic sounds from the in-car entertainment system; Classic, Crystal Symphony, Jungle Fantasy and Urban Rythmik.

Safety features will include blind-spot monitoring, programmable cruise control with speed control and fog lamps that incorporate static cornering lights for better vision while turning.

The DS4 will be revealed in full at the Paris motor show this autumn, and will go on sale next year.

Source by telegraph.co.uk