Archive for the ‘Transportation’ Category
In a surprising turn of events, Chrysler has reported that their highly anticipated in-car EV-DO solution known as Uconnect Web will actually be launching on August 25th. Uconnect Web was intended for a release within the 2009 year, but apparently we’ll be seeing this feature available to all prospective 2009 Chrysler, Jeep, and Dodge owners.
The device that supposedly will provide download speeds between 400kbps and 800kbps with uploads around 400kbps is reported to “never lose the connection”. For the $499 the device costs, plus the $35-50 installation as it won’t be done in the factory, along with the $35 activation fee and $29 monthly subscription fee, this baby better be exactly what it says.
I wonder what Toyota/Honda are up to!
If you’ve waited on buying a Segway because of the fact that there just wasn’t enough customization, then Toyota has the perfect solution for you: The Winglet. This out right Segway killer comes in three models (Type S, M, and L) and allows you to pick and choose what features are most important to you. But just as the Segway hasn’t really caught on as the preferred method over walking, we’re thinking this might just fail.
Press release after the break.
Toyota is stepping up their game even more it would seem, as the new Prius set to launch in 2009 will be fully equipped with top solar panels. Current Prius owners have already dabbled into modifications involving the Prius and solar panels, but this information now confirms that Toyota themselves will be helping those looking to maximize their mileage even further without them voiding their warranty.
The Japanese magazine that this had been quoted from confusingly stated that the solar power would go to charge the A/C, but that seems unlikely this it would only charge that.
If a bike can be transformed into a motorcycle then why can’t a Unicycle become something similar? If this is something you have thought about, don’t worry you are not alone. Someone else also wondered this very same thing and the product that came from that is the new UnoCycle.
This cool new gadget is similar to a motorcycle but you will need to have all the balance that you use with a unicycle to be able to keep this thing from hitting the ground along with yourself. For now you can’t go very fast as the current model’s top speed is only 15 MPH but for those of us who don’t have any real balance this could be a blessing. The manufacture has said that they are working on a new model that will be able to move at speeds up to 40 MPH so look out.
Afraid your kids are speeding while borrowing that new Prius you just bought? Are you an overbearing/crazy parent? The tiwi on-board car computer is just the tool for those parents who just can’t let go yet.
“tiwi is the first onboard computer with the power to instantly alert and instruct young drivers while the same time, enabling parents to receive real-time notifications by phone, text or email concerning their teen’s current location, actions and driving safety.”
Sounds perfectly reasonable right? For $549 and $35/month you can rest easy, knowing how fast your teen sped to that keg party down the street at 12 a.m.
If you’ve ever thought to yourself "Self, I’d really like a rocket powered bicycle. Not a motorcycle. Nope. A flimsy bicycle with a jet attached to it." then perhaps Robert Maddox has been listening to your thoughts. This bicycle has been equipped with a jet engine from a World War II German Buzzbomb. Maddox sells and customizes these engines, which hit a top speed of about 75 MPH, but as the name would explain, it isn’t exactly the quietest engine out there.
What baffles me is the fact that the jet is only on one side of the bike. That seems like a really bad idea.
Check out the video: Youtube
Source: AutoBlogGreen
Volvo is serious about bringing to market the ReCharge plug-in hybrid vehicle. They announced today a partnership with Saab, electricity provider Vattenfall, battery provider ETC, and the Swedish state to invest $1.8 billion for the development of plug-in hybrids; the money will be invested over a period of 5 years and at first 10 cars will be built for testing in Sweden. A plug-in hybrid has both a combustion and electric engine just like hybrid vehicles today but the batteries can be charged at home by plugging-in the car and drawing energy from the main power grid; in the latter case, energy can come from sustainable sources such as wind and solar reducing emissions and environmental impact. Electric vehicles are the future whether big oil companies like it or not. Volvo expects that the first model of their plug-in hybrid will reduce emissions of carbon dioxide by about 65 percent compared with the hybrid cars available on the market today. Come on already, I want to drive one of these!
[via autobloggreen]
MIT’s Media Lab has developed a new electric scooter that might be giving us an early look into future urban transportation. RoboScooter is hardly a robot but rather a well-designed, stylish, foldable electric scooter. “So, this is just another cool-looking scooter?” you aks. Mostly, yes! However, what makes the RoboScooter special at the moment is the simplicity of its design with only 150 parts total. This minimalistic design will make the scooter cheaper to produce and easier to maintain. We have seen the future of urban transportation and RoboScooter may be very close to it. Just wait until the MIT folks get the artificial intelligence component integrated as well; you will line up around the block to buy one.
The school bus may be one of the most hated vehicles by children on Earth; I know I was not particularly excited when it showed up to pick me up every morning. Every now and then, the winter weather would prevent us from being able to go to school and those days were probably the sweetest of the year. The children of La Pointe, on Madeline Island, defeat the winter storms to attend school by riding in what they call a windsled. The 9,000-pound sled is powered by two large fans and it carries 20 students to school over the frozen Lake Superior. In this case, having access to the windsled provides students with a safe transport to school so it is a very much liked home-grown solution. The windsled’s construction shows the ingenuity of humans when nature presents us with difficult obstacles to overcome. I can definitely imagine myself enjoying the ride to school every morning in the windsled.
Few people can afford to own a Ferrari and even fewer can afford to own the Ferrari FXX, an experimental Enzo that was sold to only 30 people worldwide. The FXX was sold for $2 million a piece. But don’t fret because soon you will be able to own your own Ferrari FXX. I am not talking about the real thing but the pedal car version. Berg Toys will soon start selling a pedal car modeled after Ferrari’s high-end sports vehicle. It will sport the classic red color, seven-speed transmission, on-board computer, and disc brakes among other things. The introductory model will cost about $800 and the higher-end Exclusive model it will cost closer to $2300. How fast can you go with a Ferrari FXX pedal car?
