Stage 5 Neuquen to San Rafael notes
Pending validation, South-Africa's Giniel de Villiers (VW) has won his first stage in the rally raid, his 9th on the total of his participations in the Dakar, 2'18" ahead of his team mate from Volkswagen, Germany's Dieter Depping, and 4'12" in front of the Hummer of American driver Robby Gordon.

Volvo Announces Powerful Twin-Turbo Diesel For Euro S80 [Volvo D5]
Once again, the American market gets shafted on badass diesels, Volvo has announced a new engine for its European S80, a 2.4 liter twin-turbo diesel with 205 HP and 310 lb-ft of torque. The all-new...

Volvo's New Euro 5 D5 Diesel Engine Offers Increased Performance And Lower Fuel Consumption
MARLOW, United Kingdom ? January 7, 2009: Volvo Cars is introducing a new 2.4-litre 5-cylinder diesel engine in the Volvo S80.

Hansen: Readers remark on meters, motivation, mischief-making
The mail has been even better than usual lately. A small sampling:

Maxim magazine Ovechkin article leaves bad taste with Capitals
That Alexander Ovechkin partakes in chewing tobacco isn't exactly a state secret around the Washington Capitals ; it's more like a personal player trait over which both the team and the player don't exactly encourage public discourse. On the one hand, it's his business; and as long as it doesn't affect what happens on the ice, it's not exactly news. On the other, it also may not exactly ...

Reliability vs. power in embedded wireless applications--What datasheets don't say
Measuring typical power consumption of the components in use in a system, while the more traditional means of comparing wireless solutions, does not tell the complete story of how well a particular solution minimizes system power consumption. Reliability drives down power consumption. Read on.

Alaska in three weeks
After driving the Alaska Highway last summer, I have advice for anyone wishing to follow my tread marks on the last, great road trip left in North America: Leave the camera at home.    Alaska in three days    Alaska, 50 years young

Travel Experts Say Flexibility Required For Inauguration
We are just two weeks away from the inauguration for President Elect Barack Obama. Millions of people are expected to crowd the U.S. capital to watch the historic ceremony.

AUTOMOTIVE Q&A: Front plate, not excuses, needed
Q. I purchased a new 2009 Chrysler 300 SRT8 a few weeks ago from dealer stock. The rear license plate was on, but the front wasn't. The plate bracket was in the trunk, but I was told that nobody was available to install the front plate.

TomTom and FUJITSU TEN Announce Second Generation of Semi-Embedded Portable Navigation Devices
TomTom (AEX:TOM2), the world?s leading navigation solutions provider, today announces the availability ...

Next and Debenhams defy forecasts of retail meltdown
Retailers' shares soared and the sector breathed a huge sigh of relief yesterday, when some of the high street's biggest names unveiled Christmas trading figures that defied forecasts of a sales "meltdown" and raised hopes about the resilience of UK consumers.

TomTom and FUJITSU TEN Announce Second Generation of Semi-Embedded Portable Navigation Devices
TomTom (AEX:TOM2), the world?s leading navigation solutions provider, today announces the availability of a second generation, semi-embedded TomTom device, designed especially for use with the in-dash FUJITSU TEN ECLIPSE AVN4430. With this product, a customer can enjoy all the benefits of portable navigation, integrated fully into the dashboard of their vehicle.

Disc golf soaring in popularity in the Inland region
Steve Valencia hits the links without golf balls or clubs. Instead, he plays with a bag full of Frisbees. Valencia, 36, of Hemet, is one of a few disc golfers who frequent Echo Hills Golf Course in Hemet.

N.H. indoor-outdoor golf studio opening
ATKINSON, N.H. -- Golf enthusiasts won't have to wait until spring to improve their games thanks to a new Atkinson, N.H., facility that includes heated studios that open up to outdoor driving ranges. ... - The Associated Press The Associated Press The Associated Press

New indoor-outdoor golf studio opening in NH
Golf enthusiasts won't have to wait until spring to improve their games thanks to a new Atkinson, N.H., facility that includes heated studios that open up to outdoor driving ranges.

Financial hazards stiffen Dakar challenge
Competitors in this year's Dakar rally, which kicks off today in Buenos Aires rather than its traditional starting point in Europe, face 14 days of arduous driving across 5,600km of dunes, deserts, mountain ranges and sand.

JOBLESS GET BUSY SIGNAL
It just might be easier to win money in a Michigan scratch-off lottery card than it is to register for jobless benefits.

Road trip: Alaska Highway picturesque beyond words
The 1,422 mile stretch from Canada through Alaska is filled with mountains, forests, wild animals and more side trips than you realistically can take in a three-week trip.

Alaska in three days
ANCHORAGE, Alaska ? Hey, let's spend the weekend in Alaska!Sound crazy? Not really. If you've ever blitzed into New York for a long weekend from the Bay Area, you should know this: Flying to Anchorage takes the same amount of time.

City's great, but are we in decline?
A flurry of reports in 2008 ranked Toronto as one of the best cities in the world -- but numbers can be misleading and there is still lots of work to be done, some city councillors warn.