cool stuff! pg2
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The Fire-powered Dutch Tub
This is one of those designs that seems so ridiculously simple, that when someone praises it you know there are at least a couple people grumbling under their breath that they totally could have thought of that themselves. The sad thing is, we never do, the simplest most obvious ideas don’t always come to the general public. Probably because we tend to think surely someone thought of this before. Well this one was designed by Floris Schoonderbeek, you site you can check out here. Floris made a lo-tech hot tub by harnessing fire to heat up the water. This way you can put it out in the middle of nowhere if you want without worries of having power to hook up the tub with. |
Toyota A-BAT Moving Toward Production
The new truck will be based on the Toyota A-BAT concept and will mark the first major entry into the small pickup segment since the Ford Ranger’s last redesign in 1998. The A-BAT (Advanced Breakthrough Aero Truck) premiered at the 2008 Detroit auto show with an expandable 4-foot cargo box and a hybrid powertrain. The production truck will likely be available in hybrid and 4-cylinder versions, the article said.
Meanwhile, Toyota is shelving plans for a light-duty diesel Tundra, as it has been far from immune to the decline in the full-size truck market. Toyota suspended Tundra and Sequoia production for three months starting in August, and will limit future truck manufacturing to its plant in San Antonio. But Toyota has not entirely given up on a diesel Tundra and is ready to continue development on it as soon as the market recovers, the article said.
Source: Pickuptrucks.com & www.automobilemag.com
When will that light turn green? Audi’s Travolution lets you know.
Nobody likes a waiting at a long red light, and sometimes it would be good to know exactly how long a driver has to wait. Fortunately, Audi is working on a program called Travolution, which allows a driver to know how long that infernal light will stay red. This device will come in handy for when you are going fast toward a red light. The Travolution will tell you if that red light will suddenly turn green in a few seconds, so you can keep going.
Read the rest of this entry on coolestgadgets.com»
GPS with 8-bit games
Devices getting combined with other things and becoming one big complex gadget as opposed a bunch of different gadgets is for the most part a lot more convenient. Yet a GPS unit with a built-in gaming system I’m not sure is actually all that convenient. The 8-bit games might be fun, but you can’t really use the GPS and play a game at the same time. The best time to play the games are on long car trips, which is usually when you need your GPS the most. This isn’t the first device to try to combine the two, the PSP now is able to have GPS on it as well.
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2008 GMC Denali XT Concept
GMC will show the Denali XT concept at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show to gauge reaction. Our guess is the response will strong. This will be one of those concept vehicles that will be polarizing-some will think it's a great idea, while others won't understand it. Among its biggest assests, it offers a 50-percent increase in combined fuel economy over comparably-sized midsize pickup trucks when running on gasoline, as well as giving an early look of some new GMC truck design language that could show up in some form on future GM pickup trucks. The bottom line is that this is the kind of little truck GM needs to compete with vehicles like Toyota's futuristic A-BAT, Honda's Ridgeline, and the coming Chinese and Indian compact truck invasion.
READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE ON MOTORTREND.COM
GM Considering Volt Variants
GM previewed the 2011 Chevrolet Volt this week as a way to open its next 100 years, but it appears some of those first-century habits will be tough to kill.
Tony Posawatz, vehicle line director for the E-Flex program, told CNN the company is already considering ways to spread the Volt theme across different brands and bodystyles. The Volt’s popularity, he said, has given the company “a degree of confidence that this could be a family of vehicles in the future.”
Opel has indicated it wants to sell a Volt-based vehicle in Europe by 2011, and U.S. brands, including Cadillac and Pontiac, have been rumored to be clamoring for their own versions as well.
Further down the road, GM sees the possibility for more interesting, diversified E-Flex vehicles. The Volt was designed to balance efficiency, utility, affordability and performance, meaning a variant could skew more toward any of those qualities. Possibilities include a mid-size model and a less expensive Volt with shorter electric-only range.
"There are a number of customers out there that maybe a 20-mile [electric-only range] vehicle would work, and they would still use little to no petroleum," Posawatz said.
Source: CNN
www.automobilemag.com
3M MPro 110 Projector
3M’s MPro110 projector is clearly something worth looking into, as this model is small enough to be used in conjunction with a cell phone. It also boasts the distinction of being the first projector from 3M that will be marketed for cell phone usage on an exclusive basis, using an LED lamp to throw a 640 x 480 image on a wall with a maximum picture size of 50″. The sharpness of the image can be adjusted using a thumb wheel, and you can also use this to watch video with your mates when the boss is not looking. Since the lamp is LED-based, things won’t heat up quickly, hence the lack of a fan that also makes it operate quietly. The 3M MPro110 is tipped to retail for $349 when it is available in a couple of weeks’ time. Source: Gadgetell
by Edwin in Audio/Video Gadgets, Mobile Phones
New York Jenga Skyscraper
The Jenga Tower (unofficial name), designed by Swiss architecture firm Herzog & De Meuron from Tribeca, is to be built on 56 Leonard Street in New York. The tower should have a great view of the city, because it looks like most of the walls is made out of glass. The tower will stand 56 stories tall, house 145 residential units featuring apartments and luxury penthouses. The units will range from $3.5 million to $33 million and is set to be completed in 2010. I hope after you shell out $3.5 to $33 million you can still afford all the curtians you are going to need.
Hong Wu Sports ATV
Key Specifications/Special Features:
Engine: 110/125cc, single cylinder and inner reverse gear
Speed: 60kph
Ignition: CDI
Start system: electric
Drive mode: chain driven
Brake: front drum and rear disc
Tire size:
Front: 205
Rear: 30 to 10
Gross weight: 120kg
Reserve a Spot in Heaven - Kit
One of the problems with getting into Heaven the traditional way, is that you have to spend so much time going to church, singing hymns, repenting, and then forking your money over to a collection basket.
But what if you could just pay some money in advance, and free up your Sundays for something else?
For $12.79, or $24.95 for the All Access Kit, you'll get your name added to the list in advance of checking in at the Pearly Gates. And just to assure any nay-sayers, the Reserve A Spot In Heaven offers everyone a money back guarantee, should Heaven reneg on your reservation.
And after the reservation has been arranged, you'll receive the following essentials...
Heavenly issued certificate of reservation with a unique I.D. number
registered in the Book of Light,
A First class ticket to Heaven,
the Official Heaven Identification Card so you can get around without getting hassled, and
Heaven 101 mini informational guide.
Reserve A Spot In Heaven is a great way to free up time, in a day and age when time has become so much of a commodity. And then there's always that lingering notion that Heaven is running out of room. So, it may be a wise investment.
by Steve at: http://www.strangenewproducts.com/
Visit Reserve A Spot In Heaven at...
http://www.reserveaspotinheaven.com/
Aprilia Magnet Hybrid
 The Aprilia Magnet concept was the Transport Design Degree project of Heikki Naulapää, a 2004 student of the Royal College of Art. |
 The Aprilia Magnet features a tilting mechanism which allows the concept to lean into corners like a motorbike. Other novel ideas featured on the Magnet concept include; brake lights in the helmet for improved visibility, a hidden pillion seat under a removable cover, and side panels with adjustable transparency which the rider can alter depending on the required riding sensation. |
TiVo and BlackBerry working on DVR capability
With the aim to allow Blackberry customers to control and watch TiVo content anywhere, Tivo and Research In Motion (RIM) have announced a partnership to bring TiVo services to the BlackBerry. The first step in giving users the ability to watch TiVo on their Blackberry will be that smartphone users will gain the convenience of being able to see what shows are on and schedule television recordings while away. Ultimately, however, TiVo hopes to bring the entire experience to the BlackBerry platform including viewing TiVo content wirelessly from home and perhaps even using future, more advanced BlackBerry models as mobile DVRs.
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Mazda Furai
Inspired by the fact that, on any given weekend, there are more Mazdas and Mazda-powered cars road-raced in the United States than any other brand, the Mazda Furai is the sort of car that could only come from a company that incorporates the "Soul of a Sports Car" into everything it builds, but with an eye toward the future and the environment through the use of ethanol (E100) produced by British Petroleum (BP). |
 "Furai purposely blurs boundaries that have traditionally distinguished street cars from track cars. Historically, there has been a gap between single-purpose racecars and street-legal models — commonly called supercars — that emulate the real racers on the road. Furai bridges that gap like no car has ever done before," remarked Franz von Holzhausen, Mazda's North American Director of Design. |
Hybrid Gaming Systems: The Super Genintari
The Super Genintari conbines four gaming systems into one. Sega, NES, Atari, & super nintendo. Each has their own control hook up on the front. The Modder has also built a Nintoaster. -very cool, want one. |
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Yeah, It's Raining, Big Whop, Wanna Fight About It?
That’s right. I said it’s raining. You wanna to fight about it? I’m not scared of you or your flimsy umbrella. Just wait until I whip out my rain protection. You’ll be wishing it was sunny everyday. You don’t want to mess with me when it’s raining. You wouldn’t like me when it’s raining.
See, I’m totally confident enough to threaten people about the rain. Sure, it’s not their fault it’s raining, but who cares? You don’t have to worry about anyone pushing you around in the rain if you have a gadget like the Birkland Umbuster Umbrella. People get in pissy moods when the drops start falling. Who knows who’ll just flip and punch you in the face. The brass knucks on the handle of this bad boy will ensure it never happens again.
With a design which integrates rain protection and self-defense the Birkiland Umbuster Umbrella keeps you protected from people with seasonal depression. I’m telling you, people flip their lid when the rain clouds start to surge. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
One thing you have to make sure about this umbrella is that it might violate local weapon laws. And if a cop scopes you out with one of these heavy duty rain protectors in hand, you might find it either confiscated or even spend a night in county jail. No price has been announced yet for the Birkland Umbuster, but the product is marked as coming soon.
http://www.coolest-gadgets.com/20080716/yeah-its-raining-wanna-fight-about-it/
Bourget's Sherdder F-80
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Bourget’s Bike Works produced a new quad for the SEMA show that runs this week in Las Vegas. Called the Shredder F-80, Bourget will be building as many as 25 per year at the rather healthy price of $90,000. It’s powered by a 425 horsepower, small block 383 fast burn Chevy engine mated to a Turbo 350 automatic transmission. Tires all around are 17 inch Avon 330 rear tires with independent suspension, Porsche CV joints, a quick change rear end and rack and pinion steering.
All of these quads, from the Quadrazuma to the GG-Quad to Hannigan’s HRT Roadster and now the Shredder, share a common problem, where do you ride them? They look like fun but it’s an expensive toy if they’re not road legal.
Bourget’s press release:
Bourget’s Bike Works, manufacturers of highly sought after custom motorcycles and accessories, announced the newest addition to the 2008 model lineup crossing the boundaries into the personal transportation marketplace. On display at SEMA is the 2008 Bourget’s Shredder F-80. The Shredder F-80 is the industry’s first limited production V8 powered quadra-cycle being offered from Bourget’s Bike Works beginning January 2008.
With the look and feel of an open riding position similar to a motorcycle, but the ride,performance, and handling of a high-end sports car, the Shredder bridges the gap of these two types of vehicles appealing to many buyers wanting to ride a bike without the risk and worries of balancing on two wheels. Using many parts from the automotive industry including a small block Chevrolet V8, suspension, and steering components, this vehicle appeals to many consumers in the Hot Rod industry looking for a unique vehicle to customize and enhance. Future options will include a number of engine and transmission choices that allow the end user to achieve gas mileage as high as 50MPG.
“As the personal transportation market continues to grow, I wanted to build a new breed of vehicle that customers can get excited about, feel comfortable about riding, and customize it like the hot rods of the past with relative ease” said Roger Bourget, President of Bourget’s Bike Works, “These machines will appeal to a new breed of open-air rider, and change the future landscape of the performance market.”
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Limited Production of 25 Per Year
- MSRP - Starting at $90,000.00 USD
- 425 Horsepower, 383 Fast Burn Chevrolet Crate Motor
- Turbo 350 Automatic Transmission
- Winters “Quick Change” Rear End
- Porsche 930 CV Joints
- 4-Wheel Independent Suspension
- Power Rack and Pinion Steering
- All Aluminum Body
- Custom 17 x 12 Aluminum Wheels with AVON 330 Tires
via Jalopnik
Link: Bourget’s Bike Works
Link: SEMA Show
