Here are some amazing desktop background images taken by the Hubble telescope... compatible with Windows and Mac. For some reason the photos don't look as good on the Hubble website as they do once you set them up as your background.
Tags: Hubble, space, Eagle nebula
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Here's some cool new technology out of San Francisco as reported by Business 2.0...
It's a thin, self-contained, Wi-Fi-enabled touchscreen computer that the company, TableTouch, embeds right into a table so you can for example read the newspaper while you drink coffee.
They're currently field testing ten tables in Bay Area coffee shops, partnered with the San Francisco Chronicle. The TableTouch also has built-in Bluetooth to send audio to your headset to complete full-scale alienation from your fellow sippers.
Microsoft has also announced their own similar Surface product. They show some very interesting applications at their website.
Tags: TableTouch, Microsoft Surface, Surface, touchscreen, cool stuff, San Francisco Chronicle
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Johnathan Goodwin is a 37-year-old professional car hacker out of Kansas that's making a name for himself by taking muscle cars and doubling their horsepower, and at the same time quadrupling their mileage and cutting emissions by 80 percent.
His latest project: creating a super-efficient electric hybrid Hummer H3 by putting in an electric motor plus a military-grade 60,000 rpm turbine modified to run on biodiesel, doubling horsepower from 300 to 600, getting 60 miles per gallon, and doing zero to 60 in five seconds. It'll also have a hydrogen-injection system that will cut the already low emissions by half.
He's currently converting a 1987 Jeep Wagoneer to biodiesel for Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a 1960 Lincoln Continental into a biodiesel-electric hybrid for Neil Young.
Read more at Fast Company.
Tags: auto industry, electric cars, hybrid cars, Hummer, Johnathan Goodwin, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Young, alternative energy
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I'm no fan of TV commercials, but in my humble opinion there's one that stands head and shoulders above the rest (along with Apple's "1984", my second favorite), and that's the Honda "cog" commercial they made in 2003 for the Accord.
Basically, the star is a "Rube Goldberg machine" (a very complex apparatus that does a simple task in an indirect and very convoluted way) made out of countless car parts.
If you've seen it you'll appreciate (or maybe won't believe) that no CGI trickery was used. And it took over 600 takes to complete!
And the final tagline is just perfect "Isn't it nice when things just work?")
If you've never seen it, it's definitely a must-see... you can watch it here in very good quality , or in low quality at Google video.
Tags: Honda cog commercial, Honda, Honda Accord, best commercials, Rube Goldberg machine
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A recent post, as well as several other articles here and there, talk about a possible VW "iCar" in the future, a marriage of VW and Apple planning.
But an alert reader has pointed out that Mitsubishi already makes a vehicle called the iCar.
It's a very small, 660 cc engine, RWD, 4-door, 4-seat car made in Japan for the Far Eastern market, comparable in many ways to the SmartCar.
Last month the iCar disembarked in the UK, priced at around $17,000.
The "i" stands for an iPod nano docking station built into the central console. Insert your iPod and it's automatically married with the iCar's HDD-based satellite navigation system to simplify iPod operation.
Tags: Mitsubishi iCar, iCar, Mitsubishi, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry
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Are Apple and Volkswagen working together to create the iCar?
(Actually the name is just rumored as is all talk currently going on about this).
Rumors and more rumors say the iCar will sport Apple's AirPort networking system plus a touch-screen iMac.
Tags: Apple, VW, iCar, Steje Jobs, Martin Winterkorn, Volkswagen, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry
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News and rumors regarding electric cars have been increasing in these past few months, so I thought I'd do a little research on the most salient models that are being talked about.
Today we'll cover the very cool Tesla Roadster, of which much has been seen and heard this year..
Top speed: 130 mph (210 km/h)Latest news
Tesla's next model is the WhiteStar, a $50-60,000 sedan sized electric car, made in a new plant in Albuquerque, New Mexico that will employ 400. They are shooting for a 2010 release date.
Also rumored to be looking at manufacturing a lower cost model.
Curious fact
Arnold Schwarzenegger, wife Maria Shriver, and George Clooney are among the initial buyers lined up for the Roadster.
Insightful quote
Referring to the Tesla Roadster, California Gov. Schwarzenegger said, "I test drove this vehicle, and it is hot."
Related posts
Tags: Tesla, Tesla Roadster, Roadster, Martin Eberhard, Michael Marks, Arnold Schwarzennegger, Maria Shriver, George Clooney, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, China, Chinese auto industry, Chinese automotive industry, alternative energy, electric cars, Lotus, WhiteStar
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News and rumors regarding electric cars have been increasing in these past few months, so I thought I'd do a little research on the most salient models that are being talked about.
Today we'll cover the Miles XS 500, until recently known as the "Javlon". The manufacturer, Miles Automotive, has been pretty hush-hush so far, but now that the launch date for their electric sedan approaches, they've been talking a bit about their plans.
Price: $32,000Chinese-based Tianjin Qingyuan Electric Vehicle Co. and Lishen Battery
The latest news
Unfortunate recent events both in auto and consumer goods safety have stung Chinese quality, so it is important to note that the company says the XS 500 will meet all U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and EU standards. Tests in the U.S. are underway right now.
Curious fact
The XS 500 is said to be comparable to the Toyota Camry in features and price.
Insightful quote
As a flip side to its low autonomy and high charge time, CEO Jeff Boyd notes that:
"... most Americans commute only about 40 miles a day and that a lot of people have second cars they use only for commuting. We don't expect this to be most people's primary car."
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Tags: XS 500, Miles XS 500, Javlon, Miles Automotive, Jeff Boyd, Miles Rubin, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, China, Chinese auto industry, Chinese automotive industry, alternative energy, electric cars
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Indian powerhouse Tata Motors is leading the way with the first commercial car to be powered by compressed air, called the City Cat, which will supposedly begin production this year.
The City Cat is based on high performance compressed air technology developed by MDI.
According to Engadget,
"The City Cat runs on nothing but compressed air -- which can be refueled at "air stations," and overnight using a built-in compressor -- with a not too shabby top speed of 68 MPH (110 km/h) and a range of 125 miles (200 km).
The Air Car designers are working on a hybrid version that can compress air while it's operating, potentially making cross-India journeys possible.
It's not completely emissions free travel since the problem of the source of the electricity (usually acquired from fossil fuels) has yet to be solved."
Tags: Tata, Tata Motors, City Cat, alternative energy, air car, air powered car, sustainable energy, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry, India, India auto industry
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A few posts ago I talked about the cool Aquada, a fast, very-fast, amphibious car.
The company behind the Aquada, Gibbs Technologies, is also responsible for a 4WD version called the Humdinga, a vehicle designed specifically to access remote and hostile terrain.
According to their website:
"The Humdinga transforms from land to water mode at a touch of a button. The wheels retract, the power train switches from the wheels to a jet propulsion system and the vehicle is in amphibious mode. In just a few seconds the driver is planing at a speed of forty miles per hour.
"On land the Humdinga can accelerate from 0-60 in 9.2 seconds and on water can reach the 'plane' in less than 10 seconds. It has a curb weight of 2000 kg, has all wheel independent air suspension and runs on regular unleaded petrol. The vehicle is 5400 mm in length, 1850 mm in height and 2000 mm in width."
Tags: Aquada, Humdinga, Gibbs, Gibbs Technologies, Alan Gibss, concept cars, amphibious vehicles, automotive, auto industry, automotive industry
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