Thursday 18 July 2013

Mashable: Latest 28 News Updates - including “Emmys 2013: Here Are the Nominations”

Mashable: Latest 28 News Updates - including “Emmys 2013: Here Are the Nominations”


Emmys 2013: Here Are the Nominations

Posted: 18 Jul 2013 05:01 AM PDT

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Breaking Bad star Aaron Paul and House of Cards actress Kate Mara will reveal the nominees for the 65th Primetime Emmy Awards on Thursday (watch the live stream below) at Leonard H. Goldenson Theatre in California. Winners will be announced Sept. 22 on CBS

Pre-announcement buzz surrounds video-streaming service Netflix as its original drama House of Cards and its comedy pickup Arrested Development are expected to snag Emmy nods, which would be the first time Netflix content has been recognized with nominations.

Neil Patrick Harris will host the Emmys — again. Harris has won three Emmys — one for his guest starring role on Glee, and two for his performances as Tony Awards host in 2009 and 2011. He has also been nominated for his role as Barney Stinson on CBS's How I Met Your Mother. Harris previously hosted the Primetime Creative Arts Emmys in 2008, the 61st Primetime Emmy Awards in 2009, and the 63rd, 65th and 66th Tony Awards. Read more...

More about Entertainment, Tv, Emmys, Social Tv, and Emmy Awards

10 Browser Extensions to Streamline Your Workflow

Posted: 18 Jul 2013 05:00 AM PDT

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In today's tech-inundated society, downloading a bunch of apps and tools to help make your life easier can actually take a lot of time and even disrupt your productivity. However, we at Mashable are all about utilizing technology to its fullest — to make our day-to-day more efficient, and to keep us on track

We've rounded up 10 browser extensions that are quick and easy to install — everything from an extension that will remember all of your passwords for you, to a bookmark management tool that will keep you organized at work.

More about Browser, Features, Extensions, Tech, and Chrome Extensions

The Real Difference Between iOS and Android Users

Posted: 18 Jul 2013 04:31 AM PDT

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Android and iOS users will cite thousands of reasons of why they have issues with the competing mobile operating system: user interface, battery life — the list goes on. But in reality, there's only one thing that separates the two rivals: money

In this comic, Scott Johnson of ExtraLife points out that iOS and Android users have very different opinions when it comes to being charged for apps

Which side do you fall on? Tell us in the comments, below

Comic illustration by ExtraLife. Published with permission; all rights reserved. Read more...

More about Comic, Comics, Android, Humor, and Ios

Locate Lost Keys With These 10 Handy Gadgets

Posted: 18 Jul 2013 04:00 AM PDT

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Do you spend hours of your life searching high and low for lost keys? Did you know there are super-cool solutions that will mean you can track them down using your iPhone or Android handset?

We have found 10 terrific gizmos that will work with your smartphone to locate your missing keys and help prevent you from going insane

Take a look through our selection. Do you already use a high-tech key tracker? Or do you have a tried and tested system for finding your keys? Share in the comments below.

Homepage image: Hippih Read more...

More about Apps, Gadgets, Android, Features, and Tech

10 Epic Treehouses Cooler Than Your Apartment

Posted: 18 Jul 2013 03:30 AM PDT

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Growing up, almost everyone remembers being jealous of that kid with a treehouse in his backyard.

Maybe you don't have the space or resources to make your childhood dreams come true today, but you'd be hard-pressed to match the awesomeness of these amazing treehouses

From Tim Burton-esque abodes to sleek futuristic contraptions that seem to bend the laws of the physics, we've rounded up some amazing treehouses that probably aren't like anything you've seen in your backyard

1. Inhabit Treehouse

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Though currently just a concept, designer Anthony Gibbon's Inhabit Treehouse is finished with a cedar cladding that ages along with the structure, so that it will blend into its surroundings over time. You enter the treehouse — how else? — through a classic trapdoor in the center Read more...

More about Pics, Lists, Treehouse, Watercooler, and Lifestyle

HTC One Mini Announced With 4.3-inch Screen, 1.4GHz Processor

Posted: 18 Jul 2013 02:12 AM PDT

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After a long stream of rumors, leaks and half-announcements, HTC has finally announced the HTC One Mini, a smaller version of the company's flagship Android device, the HTC One

As expected, the HTC One Mini features a 720p, 4.3-inch screen, a dual-core, 1.4GHz Snapdragon processor, 1GB of DDR2 RAM, 16GB of storage, and a HTC UltraPixel camera

LTE support is also on board, and the battery is a 1800mAh one, by HTC's measures offering up to 20.7 hours of talk time on GSM (13.3 hours for WCDMA)

Overall, the HTC One Mini — also encased in an aluminum enclosure — is undoubtedly a less powerful device compared with its big brother, the HTC One, which has twice as much RAM, more storage (32/64GB) and a 1.7GHz, quad-core CPU. Still, it might be a good fit for anyone who finds the HTC One too bulky Read more...

More about Htc, Tech, Mobile, and Htc One Mini

Apple Patents Touchscreen Car Dashboard

Posted: 18 Jul 2013 12:41 AM PDT

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Apple is branching out into a new area: your car. The company was granted a patent last week for a new car dashboard that would make most of the manual controls in your vehicle digital, letting you control everything from the temperature in your car to the radio station using a touchscreen.

The patent is a continuation of a previous patent filed in 2011, and describes a system that can replace most of your car’s existing instrumentation.

Apple talked about bringing iOS to vehicles during its annual developer conference earlier this year. While the company didn’t go into much detail during the conference on what to expect from iOS from a vehicle standpoint, iOS 7 beta currently includes several clues such as an Airplay feature that will allow content from your phone to be beamed to a display in your car. Read more...

More about Apple, Car, Tech, Apps Software, and Ios7

Jamie Foxx Terrifies as Electro in 'Amazing Spider-Man 2' Teaser

Posted: 18 Jul 2013 12:10 AM PDT

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A new teaser featuring Jamie Foxx as Spider-Man villain Electro surfaced online Wednesday night.

The 40-second spot, which reveals a veiny and sinister-looking Electro attached to a large contraption, debuted as part of Comic-Con in San Diego, Calif. It ends with the words "Electro Arrives," and provides a date and location for the convention's Amazing Spider-Man 2 panel, according to Cosmic Book News. Presumably, more information about the film will be provided at that time

Watch the entire teaser, above; then tell us what you think in the commentsAmazing Spider-Man 2 is slated to hit theaters on May 2, 2014. Comic-Con International kicks off Thursday, and continues until Sunday. Read more...

More about Comics, Movies, Spiderman, Comic Books, and Amazing Spider Man

#OaklandSocialMedia Day Empowers Small Businesses with Digital Tools

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 11:37 PM PDT

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In May, Mashable taught you how to make Social Media Day official in your city, and we're continuing to see more cities join in on the global movement. Just across the San Francisco Bay and the madness of Silicon Valley, it was Social Media Day in Oakland, Calif. on Wednesday.

A crowd large enough to fill most of the seats in Oakland's City Hall Council Chambers gathered to learn how to best use social media for small businesses. The third annual symposium was hosted by the Oakland Digital Arts and Literacy Center (@ODALC), a non-profit organization working to bridge the digital-literacy divide. Read more...

More about Social Media Marketing, Social Media, Small Business, Social Media Tools, and Social Media Day

LG's Next Flagship Smartphone Will Be Called 'G2'

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 11:14 PM PDT

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LG has announced a new naming scheme for its premium smartphones, which will now be categorized under the "G" brand

Since the company's current flagship smartphone is called the Optimus G, the next flagship device from LG will be known as "G2" — without the Optimus part.

Likewise, from now on, LG's 4:3 display smartphones will be known simply as "Vu:" (yes, that includes the colon).

While LG hasn't said much about the G2's actual specifications, the company previously announced that it would sport a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 CPU. The processor should deliver up to 75% better performance than its predecessor, the Snapdragon S4 Pro Read more...

More about Smartphone, Lg, G2, Tech, and Mobile

Cold War-Era CIA Tapped James Bond for Gadget Ideas

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 08:55 PM PDT

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It looks like the relationship between former CIA Director Allen Dulles and 007 mastermind Ian Fleming ran deeper than some might've expected. A study of declassified documents has revealed that the United States' highly secretive security organization copied gadgets from James Bond films and used some of the books to bolster its image.

According to a University of Warwick analysis of letters and interviews, the real-life CIA nabbed inspiration for its own gizmos from those that appeared in such films as Goldfinger and From Russia With Love. During Dulles' tenure, the agency also tapped the British author to paint the American organization in a more positive light at a time when stateside filmmakers and writers were keeping mum. Read more...

More about Cia, Ian Fleming, James Bond, James Bond 007, and Entertainment

Soldier's Surprise Return Creates Best Family Beach Day Ever

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 08:30 PM PDT

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Bethany Bronson and her children were at the beach when they got a little underwater surprise (no, not sharks). Bronson's husband popped out of the water, decked out in scuba gear, for an early homecoming with his family

Bronson's husband had been away for nine months — six in Afghanistan and three in domestic training. The family wasn't expecting him to return for another three weeks

Watch the video above to see his clever surprise that turned a casual day at the beach into a heartfelt reunion. Have your tissues at the ready, people. Read more...

More about Video, Military, Dads, Family, and Watercooler

Shuttr Remotely Triggers Smartphone Group Shots and Selfies

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 07:55 PM PDT

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Scarcely larger than a half-stick of gum, the Muku Shuttr lets you shoot Android or iPhone photos or videos of yourself ("selfies") or a group at a range far greater than arm's length

Using this diminutive remote control that's small enough to carry around on a keychain, you prop up your phone with the Shuttr's bulbous suction-cup stand, and snap away from distances that reach far as Bluetooth does (around 30 feet).

I tested a prototype Shuttr with an iPhone 5, and found the $29 Bluetooth device to be well-constructed and tiny enough to be called cuteSize does matter in this case, because Shuttr is small enough to have with you whenever you need it. Read more...

More about Iphone, Android, Photography, Accessories, and Bluetooth

Spell Check on Paper With Lernstift's Digital Pen

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 06:58 PM PDT

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A new Kickstarter project, in the form of a pen, wants you to pick up good vibrations — as well as handwriting and spelling skills.

Dubbed the Lernstift (German for "learning pen"), the digital scribbler is essentially a tool designed to provide physical feedback to its users. In the videos above and below, its creators explain that the pen currently works in orthography and calligraphy modes for spelling and style, respectively. If the utensil detects misspelled words or chicken-scratch, the pen trembles.

The Lernstift is self-contained and doesn't need any other special accessories to operate. Inside the pen is an ARM processor running Linux, positioning sensors, an oscillator for physical-vibration feedback and Wi-Fi. Here's a quick look inside one of the prototypes: Read more...

More about Video, Spelling, Kickstarter, Small Business, and Startups

How Did This Giant Dragon Skull Land on a British Beach?

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 06:29 PM PDT

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Charmouth beach, along England's Jurassic Coast, has been the site of many fascinating dinosaur-fossil discoveries over the years. So stumbling across some prehistoric bones wouldn't be that out of the ordinary, right?

A 40-foot dragon skull, though? That's a completely different story

Yet that's exactly what surprised beach bums in Charmouth saw last weekend. How could something so huge simply wash ashore? Are there more where it came from? Is winter coming?

Turns out all those questions are easily answered. The realistic-looking skull was actually a clever marketing stunt by Blinkbox, a United Kingdom-based video-on-demand company trumpeting the arrival of Game of Thrones' scintillating third season to its service Read more...

More about Marketing, Entertainment, Tv, and Game Of Thrones

The High-Tech Future of Bookstores

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 05:56 PM PDT

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With e-readers growing in popularity and Barnes & Noble planning to eliminate 30% of their stores within the next 10 years, it seems the days of perusing bookstores for a good summer read are numbered

But perhaps brick-and-mortar stores can be saved with a high-tech makeover

In this comic, Angela Liao of 20px imagines a world in which bookstores use touchscreens and Siri-like technology to let you browse genres and preview novels

What do you think of this concept? Would you keep visiting bookstores if they added these high-tech touches? Share your thoughts in the comments, below Read more...

More about Books, Comic, Comics, Humor, and Watercooler

Heisman Winner Manziel 'Feels Like Justin Bieber'

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 05:29 PM PDT

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An online-only class schedulePetty spats with Internet trolls. A short-lived resolution to quit Twitter altogether

It's been an eventful off-season for Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, who last December became the first freshman ever to win college football's vaunted Heisman Trophy for individual excellence

Since then, the young man known as "Johnny Football" hasn't been able to avoid the Internet's harsh glare. Between rumor-mongering fans, page-view hungry publishers and his own rather rambunctious lifestyle, Manziel's quick ascension to worldwide fame has come with some harsh lessons Read more...

More about College Sports, Entertainment, and Sports

'The Wizard of Ahhhs' Puts an a Cappella Spin on the Classic Film

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 05:02 PM PDT

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Toto, we're not in Kansas anymore — we're in a Pitch Perfect movie

Todrick Hall, the mastermind behind viral videos such as Mean Gurlz and Beauty and the Beat, is back again. And this time he's created an a cappella pop medley video inspired by the famous 1939 film The Wizard of Oz

The a cappella group Pentatonix collaborated on the video. Their inimitable style — five-part harmonies layered over group member Kevin Olusola's beatboxing — helped the group win first place in the third season of NBC's The Sing-Off

But "The Wizard of Ahhhs" doesn't simply cover the movie's iconic tunes like "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." Instead, Hall features songs from Frank Ocean's "Thinkin Bout You" to Miley Cyrus's "Can't Be Tamed." Even viral hit "Shoes" (Lyrics: "Shoes. Let's get some shoes.") makes an appearance Read more...

More about Music, Miley Cyrus, Viral Video, Watercooler, and Videos

The Force Runs Its Course

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 04:01 PM PDT

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Love Star Wars? Love social media? Then you've no doubt heard about Course of the Force, which is fast becoming the geek world's answer to the carrying of the Olympic flame

Now in its second year, the week-long event — created by the good people of Nerdist to benefit the Make-a-Wish Foundation — took a symbolic lightsaber from Skywalker Ranch in Marin County, Calif., down to the steps of the San Diego Convention Center in time for this year's Comic-Con

Hundreds of costumed Star Wars fans took their turn carrying it (albeit at a leisurely pace), helping Course of the Force raise more than $100,000 for the charity. Read more...

More about Star Wars, Comic Con, Entertainment, and Nerdist

3D-Printed Surfboards Are Custom Designed for Each Surfer

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 03:30 PM PDT

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Surfing pros and novices alike will be intrigued by an ongoing Kickstarter project from a company that wants to design 3D-printed custom boards based on actual data derived from riding in the water.

Chicago-based MADE Boards is trying to raise $450,000 on Kickstarter to further develop its sail, kite, surf, and paddle "SmartBoards." Using MADE's VOLUME mobile app for iOS and Android, customers can figure out what board is best for their own body and activity, and MADE will then custom build it.

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The internal structure of the boards are 3D-printed, taking into account specific factors like shape, rigidity and how much the board curves. The board is then wrapped in bamboo underlayment and a fiberglass shell to stiffen it. MADE's founder Shanon Marks says additive manufacturing — or 3D-printing — lets the company factor in a person's geographic location, atmospheric conditions and the way the individual rides the board. Marks told Mashable their platform uses social data, performance tracking/journaling and big data to influence design. Read more...

More about Oceans, 3d Printers, Kickstarter, Ocean, and 3d Printer

'Anchorman 2' Star Uses Instagram Video for Buddy Cop Series

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 03:16 PM PDT

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Actors David Koechner (Anchorman 2) and Harland Williams (Half Baked, Dumb & Dumber) are tapping into Instagram's one-month-old video feature to craft a short, social media-exclusive buddy-cop film.

Touted as the first "Instamovie," Steady and Shakes follows a composed, albeit semi-mouthy, cop (you guessed it, that's Steady, a.k.a. Koechner) and his ever-trembling beat-cop accomplice Shakes (Williams)In a series of eight 15-second Instagram video uploads, slapstick humor drives the duo's story line forward, as the unlikely heroes (attempt to) shake down a geriatric baddy and rescue a baby from a burning building. Read more...

More about Instagram, Entertainment, Film, Tv, and How To

11 Ways Demi Lovato's New Video Is Actually a Nicholas Sparks Movie

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 03:00 PM PDT

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Demi Lovato has washed her hands of the dark rock star glam look from "Heart Attack" and put on the All-American charm for her new "Made in the USA" music video.

The video was released Wednesday on VEVO and is the second single from The X Factor judge's self-titled album. Lovato and Ryan Pollata co-directed the video, which features the familiar faces of Aimee Teegarden from Friday Night Lights and Dustin Milligan from 90210.

Teegarden and Milligan star as lovers who lock eyes from across a carnival and build a passionate relationship, only to be torn apart when Milligan's character goes off to war. Wait — isn't that the plot of almost every Nicholas Sparks book? The music video has some uncanny similarities with the empire of Sparks movie adaptations. Read more...

More about Entertainment, Music Videos, Demi Lovato, Music, and Video

How the MLB All-Star Game Played Out on Twitter

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 02:16 PM PDT

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Major League Baseball touted its 2014 All-Star Game as a social media showcase, and statistics from Twitter on Tuesday night prove its success

The game generated more than 1 million tweets overall, according to a Twitter blog post on Wednesday morning. Among individual players, however, the New York Yankees' Mariano Rivera walked away the big winner.

In his final All-Star appearance, the 43-year-old Yankees legend and surefire Hall of Famer was named game MVP as the American League recorded a 3-0 shutout win. Fans were eager to pay tribute as well, posting 23,000 tweets per minute around the time he entered the game in the eighth inning. Overall, Rivera was mentioned 350,000 times during and after the game, according to Twitter Read more...

More about Twitter, Mlb, Entertainment, Sports, and Yankees

SimCity Creative Director Says He Didn't 'Rage Quit' EA

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 01:52 PM PDT

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SimCity creative director Ocean Quigley said he didn't leave Electronic Arts' studio Maxis because of any creative differences, but because it was time to do something different with his career.

Quigley announced via Twitter Tuesday that he, Maxis Gameplay Lead Dan Moskowitz, and Lead Architect Andrew Willmott all left to found Jellygrade Studios.

"We all realized it [was] time to go out and do some of the stuff we wanted to do personally that didn't fit in the larger context of the corporate environment," Quigley told Mashable.

The trio is working on a yet-to-be-titled simulation game that focuses on the earth, pre-life. Gamers must focus on shaping the world, transforming it from a sea of lava into a real crust. They will then be challenged to bring life into that world. Read more...

More about Gaming, Ea, Simcity, Entertainment, and Maxis

Emmys Hype Starts Now: Nominees Will Be Announced in Twitter Chat

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 01:51 PM PDT

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The nominees for this year's 65th Primetime Emmy Awards will be revealed on Thursday in a special Twitter chat running alongside the traditional live TV announcement.

The hashtag for the chat is #emmyschat, and the event will be hosted by the second screen network ConnecTV from 6:15 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. EST.

The chat is a clear attempt to tap into the growing demographic of people watching TV online or using second screens

The consumer market research firm NPD reports that nearly 88% of homes in the United States have at least one device that can be used as a second screen (a laptop, smartphone or tablet), while 87% of consumers say they use at least one of those devices while watching TV. Read more...

More about Twitter, Emmys, Social Tv, Neil Patrick Harris, and Entertainment

'Rolling Stone' Under Fire for Cover Featuring Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 01:40 PM PDT

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Twitter found a new villain today: Rolling Stone magazine.

The magazine selected Dzhokhar Tsarnaev for the cover of its July 19 issue, which many on the Internet found offense atRolling Stone's Facebook post linking to the article received thousands of comments from angry and annoyed readers, many of whom discussed boycotting the publication

Many reacted fervently on Twitter, too

@RollingStone #shame on you for putting this person on your magazine cover. The only people that should be there are the victims#disgust
— Kevin Williams (@KevinWilliams45) July 17, 2013

Welcome to America where you can blow up a street of people and we'll write an exposé on your life and put you on the cover of @RollingStone
— Future Fiancée (@FutureFiancee) July 17, 2013 Read more...

More about Rolling Stone, Media, Us World, Politics, and Us

Shoot Down a Government Drone, Get a $100 Reward

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 01:24 PM PDT

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A small Colorado town of just over 550 people may allow its citizens to pay for licenses to shoot down drones, an initiative that could effectively implement a bounty program for flying robot hunters

Philip Steel, a resident of Deer Trail, Colo., drafted the ordinance, which the town board will consider on Aug. 6, as ABC's local affiliate 7NEWS reported.

"We do not want drones in town," Steel told the TV station. "They fly in town, they get shot down."

The ordinance states that a successful shooter will receive a $100 reward.

First, one must claim the bounty in order to obtain a permit — call it a drone-hunting license — and then bring "identifiable parts of an unmanned aerial vehicle whose markings and configuration are consistent with those used on any similar craft known to be owned or operated by the United States federal government," as the ordinance reads Read more...

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Incredible Son Surprises Dad With His Long-Lost Mustang

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 12:29 PM PDT

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Just like your first love, you never forget your first car

Rick Lookebill of Indiana knows that story all too well. Twenty four years ago, he was forced to part ways with his first car, a 1972 Ford Mustang Mach 1. As the years went by, he was always looking for his old car with the dream of bringing it back — until his son came in for the win

Lookebill's son managed to locate the car in Florida, convince the owner to sell it back to him and park outside his father's house without raising any suspicion. Then he revved the engine and prepared for the surprise of a lifetime. Read more...

More about Video, Dads, Cars, Watercooler, and Videos

2014 Mazda6: A Smart Marriage of Design and Tech

Posted: 17 Jul 2013 12:09 PM PDT

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Shopping, if done right, is a marathon, a slow steady race to the finish line, where you embrace a brand-spanking-new purchase. You must have patience, endurance, tenacity and the ability to remember everything you saw along the way.

I’m a terrible shopper

I assume every shopping excursion is a sprint — or better yet, a relay race. Run in, grab something, run out and hand it off. If I am forced to shop, I do it as quickly as possible, making snap decisions that don't always result in victory or satisfaction, but always signal completion. A good shop is one that's over.

When it came time to buy my first new car in a decade (not counting the family car, which is my wife’s), sprinting was not an option. No, the search for my first real 21st-century car required a steady jog, trotting from one dealership to another, spending hours on auto web sites over a four-month period. Read more...

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