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GM to double size of battery lab

General Motors says it will spend $8 million to double the size of its Global Battery Systems Lab, which the company claims is the largest and most technologically advanced automotive battery lab in the United States. GM says the expansion will speed up the development of hybrid and electric vehicles, such as the upcoming Chevrolet Volt, by improving on-site testing of battery cells and systems. When finished, the lab will be 30,000 square feet bigger than it is now, for a 63,000-square-foot total.

New software for cloud-based 3D model file sharing and reviewing

Sunglass is a new platform for sharing and syncing 3D models files over the Cloud has been developed, allowing designers to collaborate on a single model, regardless of their location. Created by MIT graduates Kaustuv DeBiswas and Nitin Rao, Sunglass allows designers, clients and co-workers to share, review and chat with others linked to the project in real time and virtually annotate onto the models directly in their browser without having to download any software. One of the main attractions of Sunglass is that it works with most 3D modeling software such as Autodesk, Solidworks, Rhino and sketch-up.

Honda rolls out the CR-V concept as production launch nears

Honda on Thursday rolled out the CR-V concept, which previews the redesign for the small crossover. Honda plans to unveil the redesigned 2012 CR-V at the Los Angeles auto show in November and says the car will go on sale by the end of this year. Honda says the new CR-V will weigh less than the current model and get a more fuel-efficient engine.