Media Platforms Design Team Peril, Perfection and Promise from New Car Market New shots of Porsche’s four-door Panamera have some automotive enthusiasts cringing over the car’s stretched-out shape and spoiler, but we’ll let you judge for yourself. In greener news, Tesla’s hot electric sports car is due to hit show rooms this fall, and there’s still room in the queue if you don’t mind laying down a $50,000 deposit. On the more affordable side of electric cars, Toyota says it’s testing a new plug-in hybrid in Japan that’s headed for U.S. roads. Unfortunately, they’re still hampered by the same battery woes that are holding back models such as the Chevy Volt, so prototypes will have just an eight-mile range on electricity alone.PM NEWS: Porsche Parade Draws Sports-Car NerdsDRIVE GREEN: Report Offers Data on Electric Car’s Impact on Global WarmingTEST DRIVE: Tesla RoadsterFires Rip Through Industrial Plant A welding supply company building in Dallas went up in flames today, with the resulting explosions igniting canisters of flammable gas that sent shrapnel and debris onto local highways. Two injuries have been reported, and police have shut down roads in the surrounding area.WHAT WENT WRONG: North Carolina Chemical FirePM NEWS: New Details in Oil Refinery Disaster Hurricane Forecasters Predict Milder Season After a catastrophic 2005 hurricane season, residents of coastal areas will be glad to hear that meteorologists have toned down the hurricane outlook for this year. Cooler Atlantic temperatures have lead teams at a private forecasting company to predict 14 named hurricanes for the season, with only three looking major. PM NEWS: The Dangers of Northeastern HurricanesSPECIAL REPORT: The Lessons of KatrinaBoeing to Develop Truck-Mounted Lasers The dream of every “G.I. Joe” fan will become reality with the development of the U.S. Army’s latest weapon: trucks mounted with lasers. Developed by Boeing, the new trucks will be used to shoot down incoming projectiles before they reach troops. Take that, Cobra Commander. TECH WATCH: Marines’ New Super HumveeIRAQ BLOG: Riding Shotgun in a Bradley with Delta CompanyApple CEO Hates Buttons A profile today on Steve Jobs exposes his scorn for buttons, a perspective that explains many of his company’s products, from the one-button mouse to the touchscreen facade of the iPhone. In the past, Jobs’ design philosophy has resulted in some clashes with other Apple executives but, as iPod fans will attest, also some of the company’s greatest successes.BUZZWORD: iPhone Signals Death of the iPod ClickwheelANALYSIS: Why Buttons Have Killed Analog Control
