Amazing Lego Ferrari F1

Posted in Automotive by Conner Flynn on October 17th, 2008

Amazing Lego Ferrari F1Is there nothing that LEGO can not do? This is one of the coolest LEGO things yet. To promote and celebrate Lego World, which apparently started yesterday,this highly detailed LEGO Ferrari F1 was seen cruising the streets of Amsterdam. Jetix presenter, Leon Krijgsman rode in the Ferrari, made using 80,000 Lego bricks. Lego World will run till the 21st of this month in Zwolle, and will offer tons of Lego craziness. This awesome Ferrari celebrates the anniversary of the legendary brick. One has to wonder just how heavy that F1 is comapred to the real deal.

“The Hand” lets you flip off other drivers, throw gang signs

Posted in Automotive by Conner Flynn on October 16th, 2008

“The Hand” lets you flip off other drivers, throw gang signsI don’t know about you, but I try to be respectful of other drivers. Even nice. A wave of the hand now and then is just a nice gesture. Then there are those times when flipping some idiot the bird is totally appropriate too. It might be nice to have a hand that will do all the talking for you, so you can concentrate on the driving.

“The Hand” sign for the back of your vehicle can be used to tell someone that “they rock” or flip them off, even give them a peace sign, plus a few others. I would say just use it liberally for both good and evil. Have fun. Just make sure you actually look first as a police officer won’t take kindly to your new toy. The 9″x6″ remote controlled sign will cost about $40.

Wireless Optical Road Mice

Posted in Mouse by Conner Flynn on October 15th, 2008

Wireless Optical Road MiceLove cars? Love zipping your mouse around your desktop pretending it’s a Mustang? Then this might be your thing Speed Racer. These mice are modeled after a range of classics including the Ford Mustang GT, a Chevy Concept Camaro and a Dodge Charger SRT8. The Road Mice collection offers 800 dpi resolution and will work with both PC and Mac. As for ergonomics, not so much. But they’ll let you enjoy a scaled down version if you can’t have the real deal parked in your garage. They retail for $44.95.

RD 3 Wheel Vehicle concept

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on October 1st, 2008

RD 3 Wheel Vehicle conceptThis is one sweet looking single seat vehicle designed by Carlos Arturo Torres Tovar, who obviously channels the future like some crazy modern techno-shaman. I don’t know whether to drive it or just drool over it for an hour.

The idea is that the car works mainly through articulation meaning that this vehicle remains low at high speeds and it will also display helpful information during long trips through voice command by the driver. RD is convenient on busy roads as well as on long distance drives. Looks comfy too. It’s definitely a cool one to drive, but one problem. No room for a girl beside you. Check out a video below.

Nissan’s robot “car” that thinks it’s a bumblebee

Posted in Robots by Conner Flynn on September 29th, 2008

Nissan’s robot “car” that thinks it’s a bumblebeeNature is always the best model, whether you’re building robots or…other human made monstrosities. And with that in mind, Nissan has applied the idea to the Biomimetric Car Robot or BR23C. The robot car is modeled after Bee behavior in order to prevent car collisions and thereby eliminate accident casualties.

The BR23C adopts a bee’s eye view of the world. The insects rely on a 300-degree field of vision to identify obstacles and avoid them. Likewise the robot, using a Laser Range Finder (LRF) uses a 180-degree radius vision to detect obstacles two meters away. The image is transmitted to a microprocessor, which directs the robot to change direction or speed up in order to avoid a collision. In other words, avoiding collisions is all instinct.

Porsche Design cellphone not as cool as the car

Posted in Mobile Phones by Conner Flynn on September 28th, 2008

Porsche Design cellphone not as cool as the carPorsche is a name associated with two things, style and speed. The new P’9522 arguably has plenty of style (though I don’t see it), but it sports a Wi-Fi web connection instead of a 3G network.

With your powered down connection you’ll also get a 5 Megapixel camera, touch screen, and built in GPS. Apparently forged from a single block of brushed aluminum and a glass plate, this one is for the rich set. People who won’t care about speed as much as making impressions. It ships in November and looks like it will sell for aout $875.

Audi Travolution lets you know when that light will change

Posted in Automotive by Conner Flynn on September 22nd, 2008

Audi Travolution lets you know when that light will changeYou have to develop a rhythm regarding stop lights. You don’t want to completely stop just as the light turns green. Fortunately for those with a bad sense of timing, Audi’s Travolution takes it upon itself to keep track of when the light changes. Audi is currently testing the system.

It works because “Travolution” networks cars with traffic signals wirelessly. This way you will always know exactly when the upcoming light is going to change, which tells you how fast you should be going. It’s a great way to save fuel, and might even help traffic to move more efficiently. One day it may even come standard in all cars. Next the car will be stopping for you whether you like it or not.

Solar powered UFO caught by police

Posted in Automotive by Conner Flynn on September 11th, 2008

Solar powered UFO caught by policeMarcelo da Luz is not an alien. He has never probed another living thing. In fact he loves his home planet so much that for the past two years he has been driving his solar powered car across the country. But when he reached the Sarah Palin/alien fearing state of Alaska earlier in the week, his UFO car was spotted by a concerned citizen who called 911 to report a UFO sighting. Nevermind that UFO’s reside in the sky and this was on the road.

Alaskan police are not the sort to let aliens roam their highways so they went into action, probably hearing 70’s theme music in their heads, and pulled over Marcelo for interrogation. Once they realized that it was yet another human on the open road, they let bygones be bygones and let him go. Marcelo has has been pulled over at least seven times thanks to his odd vehicle.

Star Trek art car: Worst starship ever?

Posted in Automotive by Conner Flynn on September 10th, 2008

Star Trek art car: Worst starship ever?Right off the bat, this is not in the same league as the Final Frontier bike. Apparently this comes from Greece where Star Trek must be very different. Apparently in their Star Trek starships are black little vehicles with a weak version of the saucer section bursting out of the roof, tiny red nacelles in back for speed and their own version of the Fonz giving two thumbs up.

I shouldn’t be so harsh. It says Star Trek Fan Club of Athens on it and they probably don’t have that large of a budget. Fact is any Trek car is awesome just because it exists. Still, if the klingon fan club pulled up next you at a light, they would laugh their facial ridges off and you would feel rightly embarrassed.

DJ Mobile could be the loudest car ever

Posted in Speakers by Conner Flynn on September 1st, 2008

DJ Mobile could be the loudest car everOne look and you can tell that this vehicle is all sound. It would probably drive down your street one early morning and break every window so that when you woke up, window replacement companies would be on the move and busy all week. That’s not what it was designed for however. It’s the creation of Dutch artist Olaf Mooij, who prefers his sound loud and on the outside of his car rather then inside.

The DJ Mobile is designed to be used as a mobile PA system. It houses two turn-tables and as you can see, a rear full of speakers. Find a party, park this monster, then operate it from a DJ platform while you stand through the sunroof. All I can say is, anything driving behind the DJ mobile best not tailgate as it could surely make you deaf.

Sony intros car audio with iPod links

Posted in Sony by Conner Flynn on August 27th, 2008

Sony intros car audio with iPod linksSony is revamping its Xplod line of car stereo units that will work with iPods. The iPod-aware models are the GT630UI, GT430IP, GT330 and GT130, and each features a USB connection that transfers data and charges the iPod.

These are the first models of their kind that feature scan technology known as “ZAPPIN”, which will do what auto-scanning does for radios, but for your digital content. So, using it will play samples of each track in a given piece of the listener’s library so you get a taste of songs, rather than text descriptions. If you want GT630UI you’ll have to pay $160, while the GT430IP and GT330 will cost $130 and $100, when they’re released in September.

Peugeot 888 is my future shape-shifting car

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on August 26th, 2008

Peugeot 888 is my future shape-shifting carIt’s claimed that the Peugeot 888 is the “personal vehicle for the future Metropolis.” I’d have to agree. Created by designer Oskar Johansen from Norway, the car has room for two and all of your luggage, but the best part is that it can shape-shift. The Peugeot 888 will lie flat on the highway for stability and aerodynamics. Once you hit the city, it sits up for easy parking and road sharing.

It also has green in mind for a bright eco-future, since it’s powered by electric motors in each wheel and lithium-ion batteries in the trunk. Oh, and it’s also covered with solar panels. So I think it qualifies as green for a good long while. The 888 is one of many entries in the Fifth Annual Peugeot Design Contest.

T6 Volkswagen concept car is also your office

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on August 20th, 2008

T6 Volkswagen concept car is also your officeThe days of working only at an office are long gone. It’s getting harder and harder to stop working and leave our work behind thanks to all of our gadgets. I’m afraid the T6 concept car for workaholics doesn’t help.

Designer Alexander Zhukovsky is to blame should we all end up on the highways working our asses off. It comes complete with all the office space you and your co-workers need. Plus a nice sturdy table so you can have your coffee and get to work. The round sliding door slides up to let the next victim in and closes promptly so you won’t hear the screams.

NASA concept car spins 360 degrees

Posted in Concepts by Conner Flynn on August 18th, 2008

NASA concept car spins 360 degrees
This concept car called NASA sports an ultra cool look, but the really interesting thing about it is the car’s ability to spin a full 360 degrees on the spot. It can also drive sideways. The design comes from Czech industrial design students Marek Kedzierski and Michal Vlèek and it’s a finalist in the Škoda Auto, competition.

It gets even more interesting. NASA has no doors, the whole canopy lifts up revealing in-line seating for two. Once the passengers are inside, the cockpit closes over the passengers, fitting them snuggly around the neck and head restraint. The only problem I see is that this car capable of going in any direction keeps the driver faced in one direction. Well, that and the fact that it looks like you could be easily decapitated in a car accident.

In-car charger with USB ports

Posted in USB by Conner Flynn on August 12th, 2008

In-car charger with USB portsEverything charges via usb whether we like it or not. That can be a real problem when you are in your car. So naturally you want a way to charge your phone, but the 12V outlet is already powering your GPS unit. That’s not a problem anymore.

This in-car charger is a nice solution, with four extra USB ports. Just plug in your iPod, mobile phone, digital camera, GPS device, or any other USB device. Chances are it’s more then you need to keep all your gadgets charged. And it only costs $23.





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