Bmw has filed M2 trademarks in US and Germany

According to media reports, BMW is planning to launch a 2-Series line, which will offer a coupe (F22), convertible (F23) and M variants. Moreover, it appears that the 2-Series is actually the next-generation 1-Series Coupe and Convertible renamed as the 2-Series. What is even more interesting is that the Bavarian manufacturer filed M2 and BMW trademarks one month ago, in Germany and United States.


Still, BMW might not even use this name, but it has to protect the use of this name, according to 1 Addicts. If built, the M2 would be the successor for the 1-Series M Coupe model, which made quite a buzz on the market despite the fact that it will be built only for 1 year.




The M2 will also need to be faster thatn the 1-Series M Couple. For those who don’t know, the 1-Series M Coupe is powered by an in-line 6-cylinder engine delivering an impressive 250 kW/340 bhp and a maximum torque of 450 Nm at as little as 1500 rpm. With these numbers, the car can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.9 seconds, to 200 km/h (124 mph) in 17.3 seconds and has a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

U.S. auto sales probably ran at the slowest pace of the year in May

According to the average estimate of 11 analysts that Bloomberg compiled, deliveries for light vehicles in May could have run at a 12.1 million seasonally adjusted annual rate. The vehicle sales in the United States were likely at their slowest pace of the year in May, a gap in demand before rebounding production in Japan and lower gas prices boosts the highest annual purchases since 2008. According to researcher Autodata Corp., the pace exceeded 13 million each for the last three months and was 12.6 million in January.

Honda Motor Co. and Toyota Motor Corp. are working hard for operations to get back to normal after the March 11 disaster in Japan created component supply shortages and idled factories, according to Autonews. The slowdown in May sales was due to the limited supply of fuel-efficient vehicles, like Toyota's Prius, that discouraged purchases and raised prices.

Alan Baum, the principal of industry consultant Baum & Associates shared that the consumers were informed about a temporary shortage of cars, and thus, many of them are just waiting. He forecasted that vehicle sales in the U.S. this year will reach 13 million. He added that May is a “reasonably poor month” but did not guarantee that it will transcend in the remaining months of the year.

Mercedes-Benz sets price of SLS AMG Roadster at $183,000

Mercedes-Benz isn't calling the 2012 SLS AMG Roadster a super car, even though it boasts 563 hp and 479 pound-feet of torque; instead the German automaker is calling the fabric-top a dream car.

Available later this year, the $183,000 roadster may be missing gullwing doors, but it's not missing good looks and performance.

Mercedes-Benz teased enthusiasts earlier this month with a look at the roadster undergoing testing in Stuttgart, Germany.

The roadster has an aluminum spaceframe body, an AMG 6.3-liter V8 front-mid engine, a seven-speed dual clutch transaxle transmission, and a sports suspension with aluminum double wishbones.

The top can open and close in 11 seconds and operates at speeds of up to 31 mph. When the soft top retracts, it is stored behind the seats in a folded-Z configuration. Three soft-top colors--black, red, and beige--are available to suit the nine exterior and eight interior colors.

Another feature is Adaptive AMG Sport Suspension with electronically controlled damping--available as an option. It enables the damping characteristics to be modified at the touch of a button. Using the AMG drive unit, the driver can choose among Comfort, Sport, and Sport Plus modes.

"The SLS Roadster is a super sports car, cruiser and highly desirable dream-car all in one. In its distinctive way, it continues the succession of iconic and exciting sports cars from Mercedes-Benz," said Dieter Zetsche, chairman of the board of management of Daimler AG and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars.

HTC Trophy with Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless is the last of the four major carriers to join the Windows Phone game, but better late than never, right? The HTC Trophy is available now for $149.99 with a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate. Customers who buy the smartphone before July 15 will also get a free Xbox 360 console game and can choose from Halo: Reach, Kinect Sports, and Lode Runner.

Measuring 4.67 inches tall by 2.42 inches wide by 0.47 inch thick, the Trophy is a compact handset with a solid construction and soft-touch finish.

The Trophy features a 3.8-inch WVGA touch screen along with the requisite three hardware buttons below the display: back, Start, and search. Windows Phone allows you to customize the Start screen with live tiles that act as shortcuts to hubs, your favorite contacts, Web sites, and much more.

On top of the phone, you'll find the power button and 3.5mm headphone jack.

Just to mix things up, HTC made the insides of the phone red. On back, you'll also find the Trophy's 5-megapixel camera and LED flash.

Android 2.1 finally comes to Xperia X10 in U.S.

Sony Ericsson is launching the Android 2.1 "Eclair" upgrade to Xperia X10 devices running on the AT&T network in the U.S., the handset maker announced today.

Owners of the device, which boasts a 4-inch touch screen, a 1GHz processor, and an 8-megapixel camera, will be able to access the upgrade today. With the upgrade, the phone records video in 720p, offers multitouch support, gets facial detection in video capture, and increases the number of available home screens from three to five.

In order to update the Xperia X10, users will need to download a PC Companion application to get the process started. From there, they'll need to plug their devices into their computers and start the update. According to the company's Web site, the update will take about 30 minutes to complete.

The addition of Android 2.1 to the Xperia X10 comes rather late. Many other devices are already running the newer Android 2.2 (Froyo). There are even some runnings Android 2.3 (Gingerbread).

The issue of fragmentation in the Android ecosystem has been a hot-button issue ever since new updates started to emerge. Some devices get the new versions of the operating system quickly, while owners of other platforms, including the Xperia X10, are forced to wait and wait for vendors to offer updates.

According to a chart on the Android developers' page, Android 2.2 currently runs on nearly 66 percent of Android-based devices on the market. Android 2.1 is running on 24.5 percent of devices. Android 2.3 is available on 4 percent. There are still even some devices running Android 1.6 and Android 1.5.

On a related note, the update didn't take quite so long across the pond. In October, Sony Ericsson announced the Android 2.1 for update European customers.

At the time, the company promised that North American owners would get the update by the end of November.

The Xperia X10 on AT&T's network is selling for $49.99 with a two-year commitment and online discount.

AT&T reveals Pantech Crossover

Pantech has just revealed its first ever Android smartphone for the U.S., the Pantech Crossover. The Crossover is designed as an entry-level Android phone for AT&T. It has a slide-out keyboard, a 3.1-inch display, a 600 MHz processor, a 3-megapixel camera, GPS, and it ships with Android 2.2. It will also have WiFi and a mobile hotspot feature for up to five WiFi-enabled devices. While we're not sure if the Crossover is as tough as the Casio G'zone Commando, Pantech claims the Crossover has a durable design with rubberized corners that should withstand everyday drops and spills. The Crossover will be available for a very affordable $69.99 with a new two-year service agreement starting June 5th.

Apple replacing MacBook bottom case

Apple has started replacing the bottom case of MacBooks sold over the last year and a half.

According to the company, some MacBooks have a problem in which the rubber surface on the bottom of MacBooks separates from the underside of the computer. The issue affects MacBooks shipped between October 2009 and April 2011.

Apple is offering three free ways to fix the problem.

Apple said that it will replaice the bottom case on affected MacBooks at the Genius Bar at any of its retail stores. In addition, consumers can choose to work with an Apple authorized service provider to get the new bottom case.

If those options aren't possible, consumers can opt to order a replacement bottom case kit on their own. According to Apple, MacBook owners can order the kit over the Web. The company will then send users a new bottom case, as well as a Phillips screwdriver, screws, and instructions on how to replace the part.

Apple is offering the free replacement for an indefinite amount of time. Those whose MacBooks might have been produced between October 2009 and April 2011 but aren't seeing the rubber surface separate from the case are not eligible to receive the new part.

Apple, Jobs to talk iCloud at WWDC

Apple is kicking off its Worldwide Developers Conference next week with the unveiling of its cloud-based service, iCloud.

Next Monday, Apple will hold its keynote address before a packed house at the Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco. In addition to iCloud, Apple said that it will detail its next-generation desktop operating system,Mac OS X Lion, as well as iOS 5, the next version of the mobile operating system running on its iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

The company also indicated in its press release that CEO Steve Jobs, who is on an indefinite medical leave, will participate in WWDC.

Apple stopped short of providing specifics about Cloud in this morning's announcement. However, details and intimations surrounding the launch of such an offering have been cropping up for quite some time, at the very least since Apple acquired online music-streaming service Lala a year and a half ago.

In January, music industry sourced told that they were in talks with Apple for a cloud-based, streaming music service that would allow users to listen to their tracks over the Web on computers and Apple's mobile devices.

Apple had signed a cloud music licensing agreement with EMI music and was closing in on deals with Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment. The company had already reached a cloud deal with Warner Music.

In today's annoucement, Apple did not specifically say that its iCloud service will resolve around music, referring to it tersely as a 'cloud services offering," more than one function.