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THE CEE'D OF A GOOD IDEA FROM KIA; mini test.

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* GREAT fuel economy and low emissions. This frugal turbo-diesel promises a whopping 60 miles to the gallon and just 125g/km of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, putting it in a low car tax and company car bracket.

* I STARTED to think of this as a supermarket own-brand product. You might be seduced by the advertising campaigns of the big brands, but this does the same for less money.

* THE most groundbreaking part of the new car's deal is a seven-year or 100,000-mile mechanical warranty on the entire drive-train - which includes everything from the top of the engine, through to the clutch, gearbox and drive-shafts to the front wheel-hubs. It's a fiveyear guarantee on everything else. The benefit of this is that it will give peace of mind to customers who might be wary of taking a punt on a Johnny-come-lately carmaker.

It also helps boost resale value.

BAD * THEworst thing about this car is its name. A few months ago, I was told it was supposed to sound like 'seed' because it represented a new beginning.

*KIA, like many Oriental carmakers, is going for a 'European' look and has made Frankfurt its European HQ. This is dangerous, as it tends towards the…

…the release date for its iRadio service. Earlier this year iRadio was scheduled to be available in the fourth quarter, but Motorola has pushed back the launch date to the first quarter of next year.

"The innovative Motorola iRadio service can securely deliver a customized choice of radio stations right to the fans of virtually any artist. So now, consumers can hear album tracks or discover new performances through their existing car stereo or their always-with-you mobile phone,'' said Mike Gaumond, vice president and general manager of Motorola's iRadio service. "With the world's largest music label on board, iRadio is well on its way to revolutionizing the radio listening experience.''

Motorola's deal with UMG will add acts like U2, Kanye West, Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, Eminem, Shania Twain, The Game, The Killers, Mariah Carey and others to its iRadio service.

Motorola's iRadio service essentially uses cell phones to link consumers' home PCs with their car stereos. With the new offering, users will be able to download streamed music, talk and "podcasts'' from home computers to phones via USB cables, then play the audio through their car stereo systems with Bluetooth connections. The service will support a variety of music files including MP3, AAC and WMA.

Consumers will be able to pause and…

…the next generation of digital radio receivers."

"The penetration of digital radio over the last ten years has been driven by listeners' demands for more choice and higher quality," Carena continued. "That choice is now going to be available to an even wider audience as digital broadcasting spreads across the radio spectrum. STMicroelectronics has played an important role in developing the key enabling technologies for this medium and we will continue to do so in whichever directions it evolves."

About STMicroelectronics

STMicroelectronics is a global leader in developing and delivering semiconductor solutions across the spectrum of microelectronics applications. An unrivalled combination of silicon and system expertise, manufacturing strength, Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio and strategic partners positions the Company at the forefront of System-on-Chip (SoC) technology and its products play a key role in enabling today's convergence markets. The Company's shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange, on Euronext Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. In 2005, the Company's net revenues were $8.88 billion and net earnings were $266 million. Further information on ST can be found at http://www.st.com/.

Editors' Note:

HD Radio(TM) makes use of the lean bandwidth requirements of digital signals to slip the new channels between existing programming in the FM…

…among local radio stations.

Progressives who listen to The Mic may find it ironic that the announcement that Madison is losing Air America comes during the same week that their political fortunes became much brighter, with Democrats seizing control of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections. A harder irony to swallow may be that the station will soon be affiliated with Rupert Murdoch's Fox News Corp., given that so many see Murdoch's Fox News Channel as bearing a decidedly pro-Republican slant.

Matt Rothschild, editor of the Madison-based magazine The Progressive and a frequent commentator on the station, said he expects to hear an uproar among local listeners about the format change. He said The Mic delivered some of the best radio programming in town, providing a source of information and inspiration to progressives, especially during darker days like the day after the 2004 presidential election.

"It was a port in the storm when things were going real badly politically," Rothschild said. "You could go reliably any time day or night to make yourself feel that you weren't so isolated or beleaguered by the events of the day. That's going to be felt painfully by many people in the community."

Fans of Air America programming will still be able to hear it online via…