Cha complains that reps for Sprint and Palm have shown the device off at trade shows, but won't actually let go. At all times, someone acting in their official capacity is hanging desperately onto the Pre, which it announced in January but has yet to release on the market.

Palm spokeswoman Lynn Fox, reached at a deli in New York after spending a day letting radio shock jock Howard Stern get both of his greasy mitts all over the Pre, explained that the company "didn't want to play a game of pass-the-device in a crowded room." She suggested but did not quite spell out the no-win prospect of wrestling the precious, Bono-funded device out of an deranged blogger's hands.

We think the policy is utterly wrongheaded. We can't think of better publicity than a gadget hound, surrounded by a crowd of flacks huffing and sighing, defying their disapproval to hold onto the Pre.

Last week, it was looking like Obama would not get to keep his BlackBerry for security reasons. Separately, incoming White House lawyer Cassandra Butts had told his staff that they would not be allowed to use IM, with each other or with reporters.

But Obama, who has long insisted he'd find a way to keep his beloved device, from which he was inseparable on the campaign trail, found a way; the souped-up BlackBerry will soon arrive in his hands, The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder reports. And good on him! This is yet another example of Obama's forceful push for change. Before entering office, George W. Bush sent out this note from his AOL account, G94B@aol.com :

Since I do not want my private conversations looked at by those out to embarrass, the only course of action is not to correspond in cyberspace. This saddens me. I have enjoyed conversing with each of you.

(Photo by AFP/Getty Images)

Actually, we are — but the thrill is gone.

The two biggest attractions at the show — Microsoft Steve Ballmer's demo of Windows 7 and Palm's Pre smartphone — are more apologies than anything, mea culpas for the subpar products they replaced. There are, as always, gee-whiz products that will likely never hit the mass market, like Dick Tracy-style watches and games where you control a ball with your mind.

For the past decade, gadget porn — media which seductively presents the latest gear — has been a growth industry. When Wired first started showcasing gadgets as erotically charged objects of desire in the '90s, not for nothing was the section called "Fetish." (The love affair sometimes went hilariously wrong.)

But the sex angle somehow seems out of step with the national mood. The Consumer Electronics Association argues that gadgets have become a necessity, not a luxury, and so spending will hold up comparatively well. A Forrester Research survey, on the other hand, suggests that consumers are cutting back, with 63 percent saying they won't buy a smartphone like the iPhone this year.

Of course, survey-takers routinely lie. And an $199 iPhone is hardly a luxury splurge on the scale of a Louis Vuitton handbag or an Ermenegildo Zegna suit. Come on — it's on sale at Wal-Mart!

So we'll keep buying gadgets. That won't change. What will: Bragging about the latest gear-shopping expedition will be socially unacceptable. Flipping through a glossy digital-camera layout on the subway? A little pervy. Who does that in public? Gadget blogs, though, will thrive — since they can be enjoyed in the privacy of one's home, like a filthy DVD.

When that comes to pass, gadget porn will really have earned its name: a shameful habit most indulge in, but few discuss. It will be the new parsimony's dirty secret.

Sony, Samsung, Motorola and Hitachi have banded together to adopt Amimon's ready-and-shipping wireless HDTV chips for next year's products. Because the products will have no cable jacks, the new gear will sport a conspicuous logo that indicates it will connect to other devices with the same logo. If you want to play pundit, predict a format war between Amimon's WHDI and SiBeam's WirelessHD, which other manufacturers are tinkering with. But if you want to know who will win, Amimon's technology is already shipping and SiBeam's isn't.

But many fans of Apple often seem to want more. They care little for honest opinion. They want to pick up the paper and see in it a reflection of their own nearly religious zeal for the thing they love. They don't want a review. They want a hagiography.

It's the "hostile media phenomenon" that brings the commentards to virtual doorsteps. Stanford psychologist Lee Moss explains the mind of a fanboy to Farhad this way: "You think there are more facts and better facts on your side than on the other side. The very act of giving them equal weight seems like bias. Like inappropriate evenhandedness."

So no, they don't actually want objectivity, or fair criticism of their beloved, whenever they cry that's all they're asking for. They want everyone to totally and completely agree with them that the object of their unabashed affection truly is the BEST. THING. EVER. They're allergic to shades of ambiguity, or as Farhad puts it:

When they come upon that difference — the gulf between what's in their heads and what's on the page — the audience tends to assume the worst: The reporter must be licking someone's balls.

iTunes Movie Rentals launches today and will offer over 1,000 titles by the end of February, including over 100 titles in stunning high definition video with 5.1 Dolby Digital surround sound which users can rent directly from their widescreen TV using Apple TV.

All in all, that's 601 movies short of their 1,000 title promise. As for "100 titles in stunning HD," Apple fell short here as well, but they at least came close offering 91 films that meet the standard (however, many of those films are not actually in 5.1 surround).

And when counting all the movies you can watch from iTunes—including both rentals and purchases—Macworld found that Apple is still short of any 1,000 movie goal, offering only 770 films total.

Hopefully, Apple will meet their 1,000 rental goal in March. Because while AppleTV's recent makeover was impressive, we'd like to be able to, you know, watch some movies on it or something. [macworld]

Microsoft Agrees to Acquire Danger Inc., Strengthens Mobile Consumer Vision Acquisition of popular software and mobile services company will enhance Microsoft's ability to broadly deliver compelling mobile experiences.

REDMOND, Wash. — Feb. 11, 2008 — Microsoft Corp. today announced it has entered into an agreement to acquire Danger Inc., the company responsible for the software and services powering many popular consumer handsets. The acquisition will align Danger's nearly 10 years of expertise in the mobile consumer space with Microsoft's vision to provide innovative and compelling mobile experiences to a growing base of customers.
"Microsoft is a global leader with our Windows Mobile software and expanding mobile services," said Robbie Bach, president of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft. "The addition of Danger serves as a perfect complement to our existing software and services, and also strengthens our dedication to improving mobile experiences centered around individuals and what they like."

The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company provides services that allow people to keep in touch, stay organized and keep informed while on the go through real-time mobile messaging, social networking services and other applications ― all blended together on a single phone that is intuitive and customizable.

"Danger continues to provide an effortless and fun mobile experience for consumers," said Henry R. Nothhaft, chairman and CEO of Danger Inc. "Now by combining our uncompromised application software and powerful back-end service with Microsoft, we can expand our innovative service offerings even further and take mobility to a new level."

A Grasp on Consumers

Danger has connected with a customer base that is young and enthusiastic, Internet-savvy and socially inclined. The Danger team has a deep understanding of consumers and a hold on what people want from mobility, making it an ideal group to work with in delivering connected experiences. Adding Danger to the Entertainment and Devices Division will provide Microsoft with additional assets and resources that will accelerate the company's entry into the consumer space and complement the company's focus on delivering innovative technologies and services that connect people's entertainment and information.

Danger will further expand people's mobile options by bringing a variety of established partnerships to the mix. Microsoft software can be found on more than 160 mobile phones made by more than 50 hardware partners, which are offered through more than 160 mobile operators around the world.
Defining the Mobile Experience

Through focused efforts Danger has successfully delivered a software and services platform to the mobile mass market. Applications on Danger-powered handsets include HTML Web browsing, instant messaging, games, multimedia, social networking, Web e-mail and personal information management applications.

Combining these services with Microsoft's connected entertainment and experiences technologies, including MSN, Xbox, Zune, Windows Live and Windows Mobile, will provide Microsoft with the tools to accelerate its work to create industry-leading entertainment and communication experiences for consumers.

Best Product Placement - Iron Man
The Iron Man movie looks better with every second we see. But did the product placement pass you by? Keep your eyes peeled in the garage scene—Iron Man drives a Tesla Roadster. It's a nice car...but the guy can fly.

Best Lost Cause - HD DVD
This lame commercial plugging "what you watch after the game" was tossed in at the last moment. It's not even worth watching again, but here it is anyway.

Best High Concept - Audi R8 (Old Luxury)
Taking a lesson from The Godfather, a man wakes with an old (Bentley?) front end in his bed. Blood has been replaced with oil, and our longing with the R8.
Audi R8 Luxury Sports Car Super Bowl Commercial Ad

Best Laugh - ETrade.com (Clown Version Sequel)
The first baby stockbroker we met was kinda lame. But then we realized that the first ETrade commercial of the night was just a setup for a great payoff.
ETrade.com

Worst Punchline - Garmin
Little car, little military leader, little horse...and what about the GPS? Is it little or something?

Best Non-Commercial Commercial Moment - Football Terminated
You know that stupid Fox robo football player they've had for a few years as part of their graphics package? On three occasions, the Terminator came in and beat the shit out of him. And damn, it was fulfilling.

Strangest Cross Branding - Ford (regional commercial)
Ford pitches you a Fusion with a free iPhone...to use with Sync...a Microsoft product. And they use an iPod touch commercial style. Very weird. (And note: if this commercial existed before tonight, we're sorry. We use something called 'DVR' so we're a bit out of touch.)

Best Adolescent Humor - AMP Energy
There were sparking nipple clamps, I mean, c'mon.
Amp Energy

Lowest Kick To Disney's Balls - CareerBuilder.com (Follow Your Heart)
Singing crickets just don't have it as easy as they used to.
Career Builder Superbowl Commercial: Follow Your Heart

Best Overall Commercial - FedEx Pigeons
The fisheye POV shot from the carrier pigeon's enhanced eyewear sealed the deal. But GPS and nightvision can only do so much when you're a pigeon.
Fedex Super Bowl Ad: Carrier Pigeons Bad Choice for Shipping

1. Booth Babes
Are we such simple people? Are we so easy to manipulate that all it takes for us to decide that a product is worth writing about or purchasing are some out-of-work strippers in skimpy outfits handing out 64MB thumb drives? Yes! It seems to work. D-Link, a boring company, consistently had loads of pasty, sweaty show goers swarming around its booth, ogling their whorishly dressed booth attendants and grabbing at free handouts that aren't worth the jostling it takes to get them.

2. Gimmicky Booths
If a company is too classy to put half-naked women with no dignity in front of their booths to draw in foot traffic, it's pretty likely that they have some less offensive gimmicky crap in their booth. Cheesy fake game shows? Yes, that'll make me take your company seriously. Magicians? Wow, I am optimistic about your company's potential in the CE marketplace. I am interested in sharing this with our readers, as it seems like something that they should take seriously. Oh, wait, no it doesn't! You seem to have fooled me with your magic! Luckily, I have the sense of mind to ignore you and try to move past without being sucked into your tractor beam of the lowest common denominator.

3. Digital Picture Frames
Variations of these things are shown by the most companies at the most booths. Why? Digital picture frames are the worst gadget out there, tacky garbage that I can't imagine anyone would ever buy. But they do! These companies are all putting them out because you people are buying them by the truckload! They're essentially little flat-panel TVs with no tuners and a crappy frame wrapped around them. They then sit there, sucking up energy 24 hours a day, ruining our environment and making your living room look like the Fox News studio on the slowest news day in history.

4. Press Manipulation and Blog Wars
We get suckered in to covering CES like it's the second coming every year; we brought something like 14 people this time around. For what? So we can cover stuff we normally would pass on in hopes that we can get it up three minutes before Engadget. Companies cocktease us and make us go and do pointless liveblogs of their boring press conferences only to announce minor upgrades of the same garbage they released last year. This is worth 14 round-trip airline tickets and a dozen hotel rooms for a week?

5. Panasonic's 150-inch TV
This is probably the "biggest" announcement of CES, and it's a product that .000001% of the population will be able to afford if and when it's released five years from now. If that isn't a damning enough summation of why CES is irrelevant, I don't know what is. Isn't this show supposed to be about consumer electronics that will be released this year? This thing is neither, it's basically a big billboard from Panasonic saying "Our Dick is Bigger Than Sharp's Dick," and because we on the internet love pictures of over-the-top things, we shoot our loads all over it. Fuck the 150-inch TV.

6. Marketing Speak
The way people talk here is like 1984 if Big Brother was more interested in LCD TVs than suppressing the people. Is the Jook wireless streaming dongle really "revolutionary?" No, not even a little. Is it true that "There's a fine line between art and technology [and] it's called Opus, from LG"? No. That doesn't even make sense, and it offends me that you think I'd take such an idiotic statement seriously. You can't walk five feet on the show floor without hearing some horrible line of moronic marketing speak come out of the mouth of an overly perky 5-foot-tall PR girl in a pantsuit, and it makes me want to stab myself in the ears.

7. Designer Tasers
How are violent weapons with a sassy case one of the most buzzed about gadgets here? How are Tasers even considered gadgets? These things have clearly been erroneously put in the hands of cops and security guards everywhere who see them as a great alternative to handling situations verbally, and now we're supposed to give them to people who see leopard print as a pretty hip fashion choice? Commodifying serious violence isn't funny or cute, and just because you slap the shittiest MP3 player ever in a hip holster for a pink Taser doesn't make it a gadget I'd want to see people carrying around.

8. Knockoffs, Accessories and Other Cheap Crap
Half the stuff at this show is utter junk, created by money-obsessed vultures who would kick their own mothers in the teeth to figure out a way to trick consumers into paying a 5000% markup on something that nobody wants. It's booth after depressing booth of Wii weapons, nano knockoffs, iPod accessories and any number of other things that are pumped out at alarming rates with no thought being put into innovation or usefulness. When you disregard the top, most visible 1%, pretty much every consumer electronics company eschews good engineering, good design and imagination for getting derivative garbage out to market as fast as possible. It's a marketplace overflowing with lazy ripoff artists, greasy-haired shysters just looking to make a quick buck with the least amount of effort possible. And that's not even mentioning the environmental impact of manufacturing thousands upon thousands of tons of plastic crap every year, a good chunk of which ends up in landfills.

9. MyVu Video Glasses
While marketing weasels love to talk about bringing people together with technology, a lot of the crap shown here at CES encourages just the opposite. Take the MyVu video glasses, for example. If the folks behind this stupid device had their way, we'd all be in our own little worlds all the time, unable to see anything but the video we're watching. Hell, all sorts of "innovations" promote the same thing: don't talk, text message. Don't hang out in real life, hang out in Second Life. Don't travel to the Grand Canyon with your family, check it out on the Travel Channel in HD. The way these things are headed, we'll all be plugged into our own private media centers all the time, with our only human interaction happening when we need to update our credit card info with the home office.

10. CES is Leaving Las Vegas
Apparently, CES might be leaving Las Vegas for greener pastures in the future. This makes me sad. Let me tell you my favorite part of Vegas. In our hotel, the Imperial Palace (the crown jewel of the strip), they have a Dealertainers Pit in its casino. The Dealertainers are celebrity impersonators that deal blackjack. They aren't the best or most accurate impersonators in the world (the J. Lo impersonator is Asian, for example), but they have heart. We befriended the Bette Midler Dealertainer last year, falling in love with her off-color jokes and sassy demeanor. One of the first things I saw when checking in at the hotel this year? Ol' Bette, looking a whole lot older and a little bit less sassy. But she was here. And if I can't depend on seeing Bette, then what's the point of coming to CES in the first place?

[Photos 1, 2, 3 and 6 by Curtis Walker]

OLPC prez Walter Bender said that Intel's efforts to build an XO Laptop with one of its chips were "seemingly half-hearted" and that its brass was more interested in OLPC for PR reasons:

"The only thing they were interested in was ... helping them make marketing statements about how Intel's approach to learning was different from OLPC's approach to learning," Bender said. "They weren't interested in how we can learn together and make something better for kids."

On the other hand, the market being flooded with ton of cheap laptops (which might be better than XO) for developing countries ultimately goes toward OLPC's goal to bring computers to everyone, so it's a bit off to say it is the One True Way, even if Intel really is a child-hating, PR-feeding douche. That said, we hope OLPC gets its act together soon. The only thing worse than a train wreck is one carrying the hopes and dreams of millions of children. Or something like that. [CW]

Jobso (or Jobs , since he's in Vikingingland at the moment) was in Norway to watch Al Gore pick up his Nobel Peace Prize. While he was there, he also hooked up with the boss of Telenor, yes, that is a Norwegian telecoms company, to discuss a potential iPhone launch in the Scandinavian country (the other candidate for Norway's iPhone gig being Netcom). Talks have been postponed until after Christmas, as Apple is currently more interested in the iPhone's sales in Britain, France and Germany.

And finally, according to a Telenor spokesman, "Apple might be deciding on which unit to launch." I think they mean 3G, or not 3G, that is the question. [VG]

New York Times bestsellers and hardback new releases will go for $9.99, with classics going as low as $1.99. Through the service, which is an extension of the Amazon store, you also can subscribe to newspapers (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post) and magazines, which are automatically sent to Kindle when they drop on the wire.

Talking about the hardware itself, it'll hold 200 books on board, though you can supplement with unspecified memory cards. It'll get up to 30 hours of reading per charge and weighs 10.3 ounces. So, why does such a potentially disruptive device look so very plain? They wanted it to look like "an austere vessel of culture." The moniker Kindle is from the same line of thinking, "the crackling ignition of knowledge." But, thankfully, it doesn't get warm itself.

Some obvious questions are left though, mostly about the "always-on" connection—is the EV-DO-based Whispernet service included in the $399? If not, what's the pricing on that? And what are its limits, since you can go out onto the real web? Odds are, Bezos himself will reveal the answers tomorrow.

The goals here are pretty lofty: "Amazon believes it has created the iPod of reading." We really, really dig Jeff's vision, "that you should be able to get any book—not just any book in print, but any book that's ever been in print—on this device in less than a minute," so we hope about as much as he does that this little beige slab lives up to all the wonderful that they're promising. [Newsweek]

Maybe the hacked iPhone is just part of the joke, an inside snicker of SNL writers. Maybe the hack makes for an simpler, more customizable production prop. Or maybe, since we knew Apple and NBC weren't getting along before, this is a not-so-subtle kick in the groin from one corporation to another. Hit the jump for a bigger version.

Beautiful.

At the flip side of MIT's absurdly outfitted LandRover is team Lux's Volkswagen Passat, a joint venture between German supplier of automotive sensors Ibeo and parent company Sick. Hands-down winner of the nonexistent prize for stealthiest install, their diesel grocery-getter has a mere three sensors; one on each corner up front, mounted behind black Plexiglas in the bumper and a prototype model mounted in the center of the read bumper. Data from these units is collected and processed by four computers in the trunk. Even the actuators for steering and velocity are stealthily mounted. Apart from the big honkin' kill switches on the read windows, one might miss the fact that it's a robot car at all.

It's hard to pick favorites in an event like this, and looking at this brief comparison shows why. Despite their differences, both vehicles did well in Saturday's qualifying runs. [DARPA Grand Challenge]

Our readers were upset. AT&T wrote us quickly after the story hit, attempting to clarify their position and do general damage control. They explained that the TOS was a result of their corporate mergers and that they "do not terminate customer service solely because a customer speaks negatively about AT&T." Still, the statement didn't mean much because the TOS still gave them the right, and even implied the intent to limit customer freedom of speech.

Now AT&T has written us again, informing us that the TOS will change:

We are revising the terms of service to clarify our intent. The language in question will be revised to reflect AT&T's respect for our customers' right to express opinions and concerns over any matter they wish. And we will make clear that we do not terminate service because a customer expresses their opinion about AT&T.

2008 Infiniti EX35 Features Coupe-Inspired SUV Design

Engaging Environment and Advanced Technologies

The all-new 2008 Infiniti EX35, which goes on sale at Infiniti retailers nationwide in late December 2007, offers an exceptional combination of seductive design, elegant interior and advanced technology systems - including the world production car debut of the advanced Around View Monitor (AVM) system, which utilizes four small cameras to give the driver a "top-down view" of the outside of the vehicle while parking. The new EX35 also becomes the second Infiniti production vehicle, following the fall introduction of the 2008 Infiniti M, to offer the new Lane Departure Prevention (LDP) system, and the first to feature "Scratch Shield," a special "self-healing" clearcoat paint.

"This new Infiniti EX35 is a breathtaking design and a breath of fresh air in the segment, with its sculpted elegance, engaging interior and exciting performance," said Mark Igo, vice president and general manager, Infiniti Division, Nissan North America, Inc. "And if that's not enough to stand out in class, there's its exclusive technology, highlighted by the Around View Monitor and Lane Departure Prevention systems."

Coupe-Inspired Exterior

The EX35's sculpted elegance expresses a timeless appeal - sleek lines that portray speed, grace and finesse. Its layout combines the look and feel of a luxury coupe and an SUV's flexibility. Its sporty proportions include a long hood, short front and rear overhangs, rearward cabin and smooth coupe-like roofline arching over the windows to the C-pillars.

"The EX35 is the perfect fusion of a luxury coupe and a high-utility SUV," said Igo. "Its 'right-sized' packaging gives it excellent around town maneuverability, while the wide rear hatch and low load floor make it a versatile performer for everyday and weekend use."

EX35's exterior includes many signature Infiniti touches, including a double-arch grille, large L-shaped headlights with available Bi-Xenon Adaptive Front lighting System (AFS), integrated fog lights, distinctive LED taillights and "dynamic arch" profile. Other exterior features include a high-mounted rear hatchback spoiler, chrome-finished dual exhaust tips, an available power tilt/sliding moonroof with one-touch activation and optional roof rails and crossbars, which offer additional storage possibilities. EX35 also features a standard puddle lamp integrated in the driver's side-view mirror as part of the hospitality lighting concept.
Eight exterior colors are offered: Moonlight White, Liquid Platinum, Platinum Graphite, Black Obsidian, Scarlet Silver, Tidewater, Blue Slate and Dark Currant.

One of the unique features of the new EX35 is "Scratch Shield," a special "self-healing" clearcoat paint, which is designed to maintain its gloss-level over time. The paint repairs fine scratches, such as fingernail scratches under door handles, restoring the EX35's surface close to its original state. The process, which takes anywhere from one day to one week (depending on the surrounding temperature and the depth of the scratch), is accomplished through the use of a special highly elastic resin. This resin is combined with a conventional clearcoat to increase the paint's flexibility and strength by raising the resin density.

Elegant Interior Design

Like all Infiniti vehicles, the EX35 was conceived to offer a reinvigorating and engaging interior environment, one that is both indulgent and inspiring. The driver-focused "wave-inspired" cabin layout features an Infiniti signature "double-wave" instrument panel, easy-to-read high-contrast gauges with white-and-violet illumination and hospitality lighting with a pin LED light mounted over the center console and Infiniti-signature analog clock.

The instrument panel also features a 7-inch color display with Infiniti controller for the trip computer and additional vehicle information, including the available Infiniti Hard Disk based Navigation System with 9.3GB Music Box hard drive for music storage and playback
Other technology systems include available Bluetooth® Hands-Free Phone System, standard Infiniti Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition and XM Satellite Radio (XM® subscription required, sold separately). Available technology features include RearView Monitor (available separately, or as part of the Around View Monitor system), front and rear sonar system, Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) and Bose® Premium Audio System with Burr-Brown 24-bit DAC, 11 speakers including 2 subwoofers, 6CD in-dash changer and iPod® connectivity.

The interior is offered with cloth or leather-appointed seating surfaces, available in Wheat colored cloth or Graphite, Stone, Wheat and Chestnut leather appointments. A special Black Lacquer trim comes standard on the center console and center stack, with optional Maple wood trim on center console, center stack, and door panels (replacing Black Lacquer and aluminum respectively). There is also a leather and aluminum shift knob, and leather-wrapped steering wheel with controls for audio, cruise control, voice commands and Lane Departure Prevention (if equipped). Dual-zone automatic temperature control is also available.

An 8-way power driver's seat with 2-way manual lumbar support and a 4-way power passenger's seat are standard. A driver's seat memory system is also offered, along with available heated front seats and 8-way power front passenger's seat. Also available is a 60/40 split power-folding 2nd row seat (operated from front or hatch area). "The EX35's interior is all about driving pleasure and passenger comfort," said Igo. "Like the exterior, it offers a coupe-like feel but surprising utility - ideal for today's active lifestyles."

Advanced Platform and Powertrain

Under the EX35's dramatic body is an equally advanced platform and powertrain based on the latest Infiniti performance technology. Its advanced FM platform provides the same high levels of handling precision and balance as it does for the Infiniti M, FX and G Coupe and Sedan.
Every 2008 Infiniti EX35 comes standard with a fourth-generation VQ35HR 3.5-liter V6 engine (shared with the new G35 Sedan), rated at 290-plus horsepower (estimated) and 5-speed automatic transmission with manual mode, DS sport mode with Downshift Rev Matching (DRM), and Adaptive Shift Control.

The engine block features ladder frame construction, variable exhaust cam timing (eCVTCS), asymmetric piston skirts, twin knock sensors and Iridium spark plugs. Its symmetric twin ram air intake system helps reduce airflow resistance, while the dual exhaust system has been designed with equal length exhaust manifolds and reduced muffler exhaust pressure help improve engine breathing. Both are tuned to create authoritative harmonies, helping enhance driving pleasure, an exciting engine sound and expected improvements in emissions and fuel economy (versus the previous generation VQ engine).

The fourth-generation VQ engine design also includes a long list of advanced systems found on the previous design - including a Continuously Variable Valve Timing Control System (CVTCS), a "noiseless" timing chain for quiet operation, an electronically controlled "drive-by-wire" throttle system, microfinished crank journals and cam lobes, and molybdenum coated lightweight pistons.

"Like the new G35 Sedan, with which it shares its engine, the EX35's tuning strategy features a refined balance of quick acceleration that builds continuously to the redline. It's a deepening pleasure that keeps getting better as you drive, which we call Swell," sad Igo.
Every EX35 utilizes a subframe-mounted independent front double-wishbone suspension with aluminum-alloy upper and lower links, high-performance dual-flow pass shock absorbers and stabilizer bar. The rear suspension is an independent multi-link design with aluminum-alloy upper and lower links and axle housing, high-performance dual-flow pass shock absorbers and stabilizer bar.

Steering is provided by a vehicle speed-sensitive power-assisted steering system with power-assisted front and rear discs (vented front) and standard Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) with Electronic Brake force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA). Also standard is Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) with Traction Control System (TCS), while an advanced Intelligent Cruise Control (ICC) with Preview Braking is optionally available. Available wheel and tire combinations include 17-inch 7-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels with 225/60R17 tires or 18-inch 8-spoke aluminum-alloy wheels with 225/55R18 tires.

The front engine/rear-wheel drive EX 35 is also offered with an intelligent all-wheel drive system. EX35 AWD models feature Infiniti's ATTESA E-TS (Advanced Total Traction Engineering System for All Electronic Torque Split) all-wheel drive system, which is also utilized on the 2008 M, FX and G Sedan. The system utilizes an active torque distribution management system with an active center clutch designed for smooth starts and better traction and maneuverability on snowy roads than conventional all-wheel drive systems, plus minimal compromise of rear-wheel drive performance characteristics on dry roads.

Two Advanced New Technologies

The EX35's advanced technology design is highlighted by two systems that are among the first production versions available in North America: the Infiniti Around View Monitor and the Lane Departure Prevention system (Lane Departure Prevention is also offered in the 2008 Infiniti M).
The Infiniti Around View Monitor utilizes small front, side and rear-mounted cameras to project an all-around view of potential objects on every side of the vehicle - helping reduce blind spots when parking.

"Conventional mirrors, no matter how carefully you use them, just can't provide a view around the vehicle that the Around View Monitor's four-camera system does," said Igo. "Rear bumper sonar systems help detect objects behind a vehicle, but again they can't give the view of the space around the vehicle that the AVM does." The Lane Departure Prevention system builds on the Lane Departure Warning (LDW) system that is currently available on the Infiniti FX.

Rather than just use an audible/visual warning system to alert the driver of unintentional vehicle movement outside the designated lane, the LDP system uses the vehicle's Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) system to help assist the driver in maintaining lane position if the vehicle inadvertently starts to drift outside of the lane. Both LDP and the LDW systems use a small camera installed behind the windshield to detect visible lane markers in front of the vehicle and calculate its position relative to lane markers and warn the driver of lane drift (pending lane change without use of the turn signal) with a visual display and audible buzzer.

At the same time, the LDP system assists the driver by using gentle control (generating part of the necessary yaw movement), using the VDC's brake actuator to control the brake pressure of each individual wheel to generate the intended movement.

"Infiniti has taken a leadership position in offering the first production Lane Departure Warning systems for production vehicles. We're now poised to continue the development and refinement of this technology with the EX35's Lane Departure Prevention system," said Igo.
Every 2008 EX35 also features the Infiniti Advanced Air Bag System (AABS) with dual stage supplemental front air bags with seat belt and occupant classification system, driver and front passenger side-impact supplemental air bags, roof-mounted curtain side-impact and rollover supplemental air bags for front and rear seat outboard occupant head protection, and Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).

Also standard are 3-point ALR/ELR seat belts (driver's side ELR only) and front seat belts with pretensioners and load limiters and adjustable upper anchors, front seat Active Head Restraints and the LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for CHildren) system for the rear outboard seating positions. The EX35 also features advanced Zone Body Construction with front and rear crushable zones to help disperse crash energy around the passenger compartment.

Models and Packages

The 2008 Infiniti EX35 is available in four models: EX35 RWD (cloth interior only), EX35 AWD (cloth interior only), EX35 RWD Journey and EX35 AWD Journey. EX35 Journey models include power slide/tilt moonroof with one-touch activation, front and rear leather-appointed seating surfaces, power-folding second row seat, auto-dimming inside mirror with electronic compass, HomeLink Universal Transceiver, front and rear sonar system and auto on/off headlights.

A number of packages and options are also available, including Premium Package, Luxe Elite Package, Wood Trim, Navigation Package, Technology Package, Luxe Style Package and Roofrails. "This new EX35 is simply an extraordinary vehicle, providing a personal reward for those who drive and own it," said Igo. "With power and agility available on demand, it's a perfect fit for buyers looking to add a little excitement in their everyday lives. It's also a great addition to the Infiniti lineup of vibrant performance luxury vehicles."