Brammo Empulse Electric Motorcycle - Automotive News

Brammo Empulse Electric Motorcycle Picture

Electric motorcycle maker Brammo (of Oregon) has unveiled its Empulse and Empulse R models, each with a range of 160 km and able to hit a top speed of 160 km/h (the only electric motorcycles to accomplish such feats). Given its lithium-cobalt battery-powered and water-cooled AC motor and regenerative breaking, Brammo Empulse Electric Motorcycle will be significantly quieter than the other bikes on the street, but Bramsher believes that just adds more back to the riding experience. With prices starting at about $17,000, Brammo is looking to send models to 80 of the top dealerships around the United States, with a specific focus on California and Florida, where riding is almost always in-season.

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Why does Norway's Breivik invoke the Knights Templar? (+video)

Anders Behring Breivik, who killed 77 people in a twin terror attack in Norway last July, claims to be a member of a reborn 'Knights Templar.' What's the symbolism?

One of the highlights of today's testimony in the trial of Anders Behring Breivik, who is accused of the murder of 77 people during a bombing and shooting rampage in Norway, was the prosecutor's efforts to challenge Mr. Breivik's purported membership in the "Knights Templar."

Skip to next paragraph A sociologist for the defense talks about Andrew Breivik's world view.

Breivik claims to have helped "refound" the ancient military order as a force to fight immigration and multiculturalism in Europe. But why turn to a long-gone Christian order to symbolize his agenda today?

The Knights Templar, or "Templars," were a Christian order founded in the 10th century. Named for the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the Templars initially protected pilgrims traveling through the Holy Lands, but eventually evolved into a powerful military force that waged war against the Muslims during the Crusades.

The Templars became so powerful, however, that European leaders grew to distrust the order. Early in the 1300s, King Philip IV of France launched a crackdown on the Templars that, with the help of Pope Clement V, eventually spread Europe-wide, destroying the order. Many members were tortured and tried for heresy by the Catholic Church.

But despite, or perhaps because of, their ancient history and sudden demise, the Templars still hold a solid grip on modern imaginations and pop culture. They are frequently depicted as the mysterious controllers of the world in books like Umberto Eco's "Foucault's Pendulum" and movies like "National Treasure." "The Da Vinci Code" and "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" set the Templars up as secret keepers of the Holy Grail. They even appear as the enemies in video games like "Assassin's Creed."

Certainly, the organization that Breivik claims to be a member of is equally mysterious. Breivik describes the organization as "a leaderless network, made to be self-driven cells.? He said that ?For militants, [Knights Templar] is meant to be a version of Al Qaeda." He has yet to name another member of the group, claiming that to do so would risk their being caught, though he has indicated that his "English mentor" can be found in London and that a Serb "war hero" living in Liberia is among the group's ranks.

Whether or not the Templars in which Breivik claims membership are real, the name is likely meant to evoke both the mysterious nature of the original Templars and their open war against Muslim forces during the Crusades. The historical Templars' modern reputation and supposed influence makes a strong symbolic counterpoint to terrorist groups like Al Qaeda.

Monitor guest blogger James Bosworth suggested that the use of the name may also be meant to legitimize the group as a moral one.

Last July, Mr. Bosworth noted that Breivik was not the first violent criminal to invoke the Templars: A Mexican criminal gang has also adopted the name and some of the associated symbolism. But Bosworth concludes that "The Mexican Knights Templar code of conduct appears to be a false appeal to Mexico's citizens," something that could also be argued of Breivik's use of the Templar mythology. "The Knights Templar label is a failed attempt to grant historical legitimacy to a violent act that truly has no justification," Bosworth wrote.

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Motorola Mobility launches the Motorola Xoom 2 family of tablets in Sweden, elsewhere

Motorola Mobility is continuing their global roll out of the Motorola Xoom 2 family of tablets. This time around, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark are getting some Motorola love with the release of the Motorola Xoom 2 as well as the Motorola Xoom 2 Media Edition.

• Motorola XOOM 2 Media Edition - Wi-Fi variant from 3595 SEK
• Motorola XOOM 2 - Wi-Fi variant from 3595 SEK
• Motorola XOOM 2 Media Edition - Wi-Fi & 3G variant from 4395 SEK
• Motorola XOOM 2 - Wi-Fi & 3G variant from 4795 SEK

All variations of the tablets are available now in Sweden through El-Giganten at the various price points listed above. Need some more info? Check out the Motorola site link below or have a look at our Motorola Xoom 2 review for more details.

Source: Motorola (Sweden, Norway, Finland, Denmark)

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IRL: Verizon Jetpack MiFi 4620, iHome iC50 and Epson's EH-TW9000 3D projector

Welcome to IRL, an ongoing feature where we talk about the gadgets, apps and toys we're using in real life and take a second look at products that already got the formal review treatment.

Just call this week's column the something borrowed edition. Rather than do a formal review -- the sort of cookie-cutter project that can be over and done with in a week, frankly -- we asked three staffers to not just test new products, but to live with them. For starters, our very own jet-setting Darren Murph used Verizon Wireless' new Jetpack MiFi 4620L to get work done on the go, while our new editor Jon Fingas traded in his Sony clock radio for an iHome dock that promised to play nice with his non-Apple device. Rounding things out, Sharif took a $4,000 3D projector for a weeks-long spin because, well, why not?

Continue reading IRL: Verizon Jetpack MiFi 4620, iHome iC50 and Epson's EH-TW9000 3D projector

IRL: Verizon Jetpack MiFi 4620, iHome iC50 and Epson's EH-TW9000 3D projector originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 13 May 2012 10:54:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kris Humphries to Kim Kardashian: Give Me My Ring!

Note to Kim Kardashian: you can keep the bondage boots. But please give me my crazy expensive ring back.

That's the gist of Kris Humphries' demands, a source says, as these two ballers (him in the NBA, her in... you get it) continue to battle it out in divorce court.

"Kris wants the [engagement] ring back because the marriage only lasted 72 days and he believes it was based on fraud and deceit," an insider tells Radar Online. "Remember, Kim filed for divorce. Kris paid for that ring, and he just can't fathom why Kim would want to keep it."

That would be a reasonable point... if E! clearly did not pay for the ring.

Last week, Kardashian's attorney was in court, trying to end the legal maneuvering by both parties. She claims the divorce is still not finalized because Humphries is dragging it out on purpose in a desperate attention to garner headlines.

If true, hmmmm, we wonder from where he would have learned such a thing.

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Who Is 'The Voice'? Tony, Juliet, Jermaine And Chris Duke It Out

Final four also perform with their judges before the winner is chosen Tuesday night.
By John Mitchell

Jermaine Paul performs on "The Voice"
Photo: NBC

The final night of competition proved intense and tough to call Monday night (May 7) on "The Voice" as rocker Juliet Simms, singer/songwriter Tony Lucca, former R&B backup singer Jermaine Paul and classically trained Chris Mann brought everything they had to the stage hoping to land enough votes to take home the title in Tuesday's live grand finale.

But it wasn't all business, as each of the final four also took the stage with their respective coach for a series of powerhouse performances that showcased the onstage chemistry born from both compatibility — looking at you, chill rocker boys Adam Levine and Lucca and vocal dynamos Christina Aguilera and Mann — and unlikely pairings (think country crooner Blake Shelton and Paul and funky soul man Cee Lo and Simms).

First up was Team Blake's Jermaine, who wasn't taking any chances with his song choice, going straight for a mid-'90s jam that has practically become an R&B standard, R. Kelly's inspirational "I Believe I Can Fly."

His simple, clean and emotional performance — Adam called it "elegant" — earned plenty of praise, with Christina admitting, "That song was made for you. You came out classy and positive." Blake couldn't have been more pleased, adding, "My heart is in my throat right now. I've heard that song a million times, but I don't feel like I've ever really heard it before tonight."

As a surprise thank you to their coaches, the final four also hit the stage to sing one of their mentor's biggest hits. Juliet Simms, looking great with newly raven locks and powering through throat issues that Cee Lo revealed at the top of the show, was up first with a rocking take on Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy." She was followed later in the show by Chris Mann singing Christina's emotional ballad "The Voice Within," Paul's clean take on Shelton's country hit "God Gave Me You" and Tony's faithful rendition of Maroon 5's "Harder to Breathe."

When it came time for the first coach/contestant pairing, Christina and Chris found a song that was so clearly recorded specifically for them to sing live on "The Voice" tonight, we wonder if Andrea Bocelli and Celine Dion had a crystal ball with them when they hit the studio. That song was "The Prayer," and Xtina hit it on the nose during the rehearsal montage, saying, "We connected so perfectly together, it was effortless."

And they did, of course; the two were meant to perform together.

The next competitive performance came from Team Adam's Tony Lucca, who Adam admitted needed "another moment" (like his rock remix of Britney Spears' " ... Baby One More Time" a few weeks ago) to increase his shot at winning the competition. He found it in a rockabilly reimagining of Jay-Z's "99 Problems," complete with a harmonica and washboard (like you'd use for laundry) for accompaniment.

Unsurprisingly, Christina, who has taken issue with her former "Mickey Mouse Club" co-star often in the past, found fault in Lucca's song choice, saying the B-word that Lucca muted from the song (but which we all know is there) was disrespectful to women. Adam was smartly ready for Christina to slag on Lucca, explaining that the term was more of a metaphor for all the things that drag you down.

Indeed, Christina's criticism of Lucca was so anticipated by Adam that while explaining the song choice, he ripped off his flannel to reveal a sparkling "Team Xtina" T-shirt that forced even the temperamental Aguilera to laugh off the obviously good-natured snarking.

(Also, we'll be needing one of those T-shirts. As a superstar musician, Adam, we have a feeling you know how to find us at MTV HQ in New York City.)

Like Xtina and Chris, Cee Lo and Juliet managed to find a perfect song for their coach/contender performance, Steppenwolf's "Born to Be Wild." Their take on it, despite an abundance of studded leather and onstage motorcycles, however, fell kind of flat. (Lucky for Juliet, this wasn't the performance that really counted for her.)

We're starting to wonder if Blake is getting jealous of Lucca, because it seems his bromance with coach Adam blossoms more and more each week, coming to a chemistry-filled fruition when the two hit the stage together to sing the Beatles' "Yesterday." Tony plucked the guitar, both crooned and, in all seriousness, the pair delivered a simple, clean take on the classic that left both grinningly pleased when they reached those key final chords.

For his competitive performance, Mann went for his nearest peer in popular music, Josh Groban. It's no surprise that Mann nailed "You Raise Me Up," bringing his coach Christina to tears. Cee Lo called his voice "incomparable," and it's a fact that no one can argue.

For their joint performance, Blake, who throughout the show has always proven a little more willing than the other judges (save maybe music Renaissance man Cee Lo) to step outside his comfort zone, leapt off the deep end and joined Jermaine for a funky, horn-filled "Soul Man" that was anything but country.

It was a joyous and lively performance that makes us wonder if Adam is the one who should be jealous. There was definite onstage chemistry between Blake and Jermaine — and so another "Voice" bromance (we know, they hate that word, but we don't care) is born.

The night ended on a high note: Juliet Simms' blistering tear into Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Free Bird." The only woman in the final four, Simms stunned in a Florence Welch-esque gown and cape that Christina Aguilera gave props to. From one diva to another, Xtina also offered Juliet words of encouragement, as she was also under the weather — though you might not know it from her performance.

Juliet tore the song up, and along with an amazing accompanying guitar riff, it was a performance that simply screamed "rock star." She earned a standing ovation from her judge Cee Lo, but it was Adam that perhaps gave the most astute observation, saying, "I have no grit in my voice and you have all of it."

Don't knock yourself down, Adam, but you are right &8212; Juliet's voice is one of a kind.

With a Universal Republic Records contract on the line, we'll learn Tuesday who America has chosen as "The Voice."

Which performance was your favorite of the night? Let us know in the comments below!

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Pippen Lane Debuts Festive Kids Collection

Pippen Lane debuts a beautiful collection for girls inspired by New Orleans.

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