General Motors has just unveiled the new Hummer model concept dubbed as Hummer HX. Everything about it is looking sweet and sleek. Fans of the motor world are even saying that the design was lifted from Halo's Warthog.

Are these observations valid and correct? GM's Director of Exterior Design has something to say about the matter. Head over to the full article to know the full details.

Not only can you connect with people using your iPhone but it seems that you can also do the same with cars with Delphi's concept web application. Via Gizmodo, we were able to see a video that showed a car being controlled by an iPhone in real time.

Check out the details of the video after the jump!

Aside from the announcement of Skype on the Sony PlayStation Portable and Bill Gates' final keynote, the Consumer Electronics Show 2008 was big for both consumers and companies alike. Records were set, and a lot of firsts happened this CES. Check out the full article to learn more.

Do you remember those PlayStation Experience Trucks happily roaming your quiet peaceful towns every now and then? Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) is happy to announce that these custom built, double expandable 53-foot trailers have received the Best Vehicle Design during the Ex Awards sponsored by Event Marketer Magazine.

Ex Awards, for those not in the know, honors the very best promotional campaigns in the whole world. Sony's competitors in the said division included Proctor & Gamble and General Motors. SCEA Senior VP of Marketing Peter Dille had this to say:

Winning the 2007 Ex Award for our PlayStation Experience truck is a great honor and testament to the design and strategy behind this revolutionary marketing vehicle Traveling around the country to various events and concerts, PlayStation Experience is a true ambassador of the PlayStation brand.

In case these happy trucks didn't pass by your location for whatever reason, we're telling you that you really missed a lot. Just so you know, here are a few of the PS Experience Truck's more remarkable features:

• A PlayStation 3 (PS3) gaming area featuring a 52-inch LCD screen and plush leather chairs
• The PS3 Lounge which features seating for six gamers across three different gaming stations
• Two individual PS3 gaming kiosks each featuring their own 40-inch LCD TV
• Ten individual PS3 stand-alone gaming stations
• Two PSP (PlayStation Portable) Zones featuring nine different gaming stations, plus a PSP Spot Download Station
• Four PlayStation 2 computer entertainment system stations

Fine, Microsoft doesn't want to buy Take-Two Interactive. But have you ever wondered what big MS really wants? Well, judging from its actions, it seems that the company is into advertisements these days.

Almost one year ago, it can be remembered that Microsoft acquired the in-game ads company Massive Inc., and now, there are a lot of rumors going around saying that Microsoft has set its eyes on another online advertising company, DoubleClick. Some of its clients include General Motors, Coca-Cola, Motorola, L'Oreal, Palm, Visa USA, Nike, and Carlsberg among many others.

For those who may not be familiar with the name, DoubleClick was just founded last year and its total amount of sales was somewhere around £75  million (US$ 147.62 million). We haven't heard any feedback about this company's performance and strategies, but it may be safe to assume that they're doing well enough to catch the eye of a giant like Microsoft.

The rumors also added that if the acquisition pushes through, it will cost MS a hefty sum of US$ 2 billion. Now, they must REALLY want that company.

We reported a few days ago that Big Brother just landed in Second Life's virtual reality world and is set to recreate the series we have all learned to love watching. As always, Linden Lab is more than happy to accept the newcomer as this just adds up to its list of high profile residents like Sony, IBM and General Motors to name a few.

Anyway, we all know what goes on inside the house. Sometimes it's boring, at times interesting and during some other circumstances, things get a bit controversial and showbiz-like. It is in this light that the publisher of Germany's top-selling newspaper, Bild, is planning to launch the parallel universe's first tabloid ever, SL News.

Axel Springer, the above mentioned newspaper man, stated that it's going to be a weekly paper designed to satisfy the virtual population's appetite for news and gossip. "It will be a colourful tabloid, with snippets about show business and human interest tales from the avatar world," added Bild spokesperson Dirk Meyer-Bosse.

Furthermore, Springer detailed on his plans for SL News. Accordingly, it's to be launched this coming December, with a price tag of 10 to 15 Linden dollars. After the construction of an online editorial office, a real editor-in-chief will then recruit a team of roving reporters from among the avatar community.

With the popularity of Second Life, it's kinda hard to imagine that Second Life creators Linden Lab would be in the red. Imagine, the game already has 1.2 million registered users, and even big real-world companies like Sony, IBM, and General Motors are clamoring to buy some virtual in-game real estate.

But then again, maybe it's not so hard to imagine. With the recent surge in Second Life's popularity, Linden Lab's cost for servers, bandwidth, and engineering talent have risen significantly. According to John Zdanowski, Linden Lab's new chief financial officer, those factors were involved in the company's decision to raise land prices.

That's right guys, the price of virtual land in Second Life is getting a hike. Before - and until now, actually, since the hike hasn't been implemented yet - anyone could buy a small 16-acre private island for US $ 1,250 and a monthly maintenance fee of US $ 195. On Wednesday, though, the company plans to bump those fees up to US$ 1,675 and US$ 295, respectively, for all new sales.

Existing islands or land on the Second Life mainland would not be affected by the fee hikes, however. Additionally, Linden Lab plans to take a final inventory of 150 islands available at previous prices. After those islands are gone, all subsequent sales will be at the new prices.

Looking back a few weeks ago, this isn't Linden Lab's only pricing move. Earlier this month, the company also began charging US$ 9.95 for users' second accounts. The company also even thought about charging for technical support, which has so far been free. This idea, which was posted on a blog by Linden Lab VP of community development and research Robin Harper, was promptly blasted by some community members.

And what does the Second Life community think about the price hikes? Well, right now, most Second Life users don't own islands. The ones who will be most affected by the price fee hikes will be small business owners and those who rent space on islands, and at least one Second Life landlord, Hiro Queso, has seen fit to close down his business.

Not everybody's jumping ship, though. Alice McKeon, who runs d'Alliez Island Rentals in Second Life and rents 39 islands along with partner Tony Beckett, said that they will have to increase their rental prices accordingly in order to recoup their investments on new islands. "We'll have to see what supply and demand is (for islands). We will not grow as fast as we have in the past," said McKeon.

In light of these issues, McKeon maintains that she bears Linden Lab no ill will for the price fee hike. "Let's face it, they're a business," McKeon said, "and they have to operate as a business. I'm in their ballpark and either I believe in them and I stay, or I don't believe in them and I leave. And I plan to stay."

Legendary rockers don't die, and Bob Seger didn't fade, either. But he did turn green. Environment green.

That's what the new Bob Seger is all about these days. The rock legend immortalized the Chevrolet in his classic "Night Moves" while his song "Like A Rock" became the advertising anthem for Chevrolet-maker General Motors.

But after watching a run of Al Gore's "Inconvenient Truth", the Motor City native decided to park the big car for good and switch to vehicles that treat Mother Nature better."I don't have any of them anymore. Not one, no. You just look at oil prices, and it's just, 'Wow! You've gotta do something.' We consume so much and it can't be good for the economy, the whole country in the final analysis to consume as much as we do," says Seger.

You can listen to his green philosophy on "Face The Promise", his latest album.

With the uber high prices of gasoline nowadays, automobile companies are scrambling to make hybrid cars that would lessen fuel consumption and be environment-friendly at the same time.

Toyota has already introduced the Prius and other companies are following suit-- one of them is General Motors (GM). Although they are lagging behind in the hybrid vehichles section, they are out to prove that just because their late in the game doesn't mean they can't dominate.

In fact, GM is looking at the possibility of a new version known as "plug-in hybrids" not yet on the market, which can offer drivers even better mileage, according to sources who are allegedly familiar with company plans. This sounds like a good plan since hybrid automobiles rely on on both a gasoline-powered engine and an electric motor.

This won't be the first time that GM would be offering an electronic powered car. If you could recall, the company offered a limited production of an electric-only car, the EV1, for five years starting in 1996. But it sold only 411 units in 2000, the last year they were available.

GM spokesman Brian Corbett wouldn't go on specifics about this alleged plan, but said that "we (GM) are always looking at ways to provide fuel efficiency to our customers, and energy independence to the United States," said Corbett. "Obviously, a plug-in hybrid is something that would definitely be on our radar screen, something we could consider for the future. But I'm not saying we're going to do one or the other."

He also mentioned that "a plug-in hybrid is going to require a change in consumer's daily routine. If something is going to work, you have to make it as easy as possible for the consumer to adjust to a new form of vehicle propulsion. Whether it's our Saturn Vue Green Line, or the Chevy Tahoe which comes out in '07 or the Toyota Prius or Ford Escape, drivers of current hybrids don't have to do anything different."

If the "plug-in hybrids" roll into mass production, this could be considered as GM's most massive hybrid vehicle campaign. The Detroit-based company has been offering hybrid versions of its full-size pickups such as the Chevrolet Silverado and the GMC Sierra, since 2004, and it is due to release a hybrid version of the Saturn Vue crossover SUV this fall.