Photographer Ewans managed to snap two pictures of a 2007/2008 Audi R8 prototype in testing.

The R8 is expected to have the same 425 horsepower V8 engine as the Audi RS4, but weight just 3500 lbs, compared to the RS4’s 4200 lbs. Those figures should be good for a 0-60 mph time in the low-4.0 second range. It is based on the Lamborghini Gallardo platform

[via LeftLaneNews]

from techeblog

Seems like only yesterday we were firing off Core Duo announcement after Core Duo announcement (with the occasional Core Solo thrown in for good measure), and now the Merom (aka Core 2) family has finally landed. We can expect ten new Core 2 Duo and Core 2 Extreme chips from Intel today; we’ll leave the bithead biz to the fine folks at Tom’s and the like, but expect to Leap Ahead into “performance enhancing” buzzwords like Wide Dynamic Execution, Smart Memory Access, Advanced Smart Cache, Advanced Digital Media Boost, and 64 bit processing (from the Core 2 Extremes and Duo desktop chips), as well as Core 2 Duo mobile processors’ new Dynamic Power Coordination, Dynamic Bus Parking, and Enhanced Intel Deeper Sleep with Dynamic Cache Sizing, all intended to drop processor juice usage even further. Should we expect to see some announcements of machines based on these long awaited processors? Well, check back in a couple hours, why don’t you? In the mean time, Intel assures us that boxes with Core 2 Extreme chips are already ready to rumble, but unfortunately you’ll have to wait for the Core 2 Duo desktops and mobiles until early and late August, respectively.

P.S. -If you’re of the bencharking ilk — and somehow we have a feeling you are — PC Perspective’s got a load of early-release performance data they just threw up. Thanks Ryan.

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from Engadget

So we’re not sure if this is the same Vista-focused product that the company was supposedly working on with Microsoft, but Samsung has just revealed a new 22-inch widescreen LCD known as the CX223B/W that should go nicely with the upcoming OS. Available in black or silver, this monitor features a pretty decent 1,680 x 1,050 resolution, 5-millisecond response time, and most importantly for HD fans, an HDCP-enabled DVI port (though HDMI seems to be missing). The lack of info on other important specs such as contrast or brightness makes us think that the display is not scheduled for an impending release, a notion that’s only further supported by the lack of any pricing details. If you can’t wait for the CX223BW to start shipping in the US, there’s always that LCM-22w2 from Westinghouse to keep you occupied for the time being, and both Dell and LG are expected to drop new 22-inch models in the near future as well.

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from engadget

Venzero’s trio of digital audio players still aren’t even shipping yet but the company’s already expanding its product line-up, now also taking pre-orders for its boldly-named LifeSaver USB drive. While not candy-colored, the 8GB Microdrive promises to live up to its name by including backup software and a “mobile desktop” on the drive, which’ll let you access your files and run programs like Skype or Firefox on any Windows PC without having to install anything (ala U3). Unlike its other devices, Venzero’s only providing the Euro price for the LifeSaver: €149, or about $190. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see if it gets a price drop similar to Venzero’s LilOne when it hits stateside next month.

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from Engadget