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CES opens with fewer big wheels, including carmakers

There are some grumblings that the annual CES is becoming less relevant in this era of 24-hour news and instant globalization of information on the internet. And you can make a good argument that the relevance of the world's largest consumer electronics show is at least evolving, for carmakers as well as for other industry giants. It has always been an industry only show, with no public -- the “consumers” in "consumer electronics" -- allowed.

Think you can talk and drive? Not so much…

It has been well documented that texting while driving is a risky practice that results in thousands of motor-vehicle deaths each year. But talking rather than texting isn't really a better alternative, according to experts at the National Safety Council. The council is hoping to better explain why driving and talking on a cell phone is so dangerous by examining how the brain works when faced with multiple cognitive tasks.

Lada 2107 production ends

Our friends at Hooniverse.com passed along some very sad news on Wednesday. AvtoVAZ has stopped producing the Lada 2107, also known as the Lada Riva and the Lada Signet. The last one rolled off the assembly line on Monday.