99-00 Mazda Miata Automatic Transmission Computer, Control Module, At on 2040-parts.com

Design and Technology at Siggraph 2007

From 5-9 August, over 24000 artists, designers, research scientists, developers, filmmakers, and academics gathered in San Diego, California, for the 34th Siggraph Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. The Siggraph conference and exhibition ranges from several days of highly technical courses and academic paper presentations, through to hands-on demos of new technologies, an art gallery, computer animation festival, and the two-day exhibition by software and hardware vendors. Siggraph straddles the scientific, engineering and the artistic aspects of computer graphics and interaction, with film-makers showing how they made "Giant Frickin' Robots" for the upcoming Transformers movie, while the Papers presentations and Courses deal with the latest research, software evolution and hardware systems that make it all possible.

Toyota Prius points the way to design future

For a glimpse of Toyota's future design trends, check out the Prius. The third generation, debuting Monday in Japan, stays true to the line's role as a vanguard of futuristic styling and sports many new elements that will be popping up soon in other models. Chief among these are the sharply creased corners, the forward placement of the Toyota badge, a lowered grille and styling that Toyota's global design chief Wahei Hirai calls "free-form geometrics." The goal was to create an avant-garde, high-tech look that also screams green.

2013 Ford F-150 gets Limited model, changes

The Ford F-150 pickup gets a handful of upgrades for the 2013 model year. The key changes include a redesigned center stack, the availability of high-intensity discharge headlamps and the addition of a new range-topping Limited trim. The changes come as rival General Motors prepares to launch redesigned versions of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups.