NEW YORK, 2:17 PM, WED MAY 14 | 51 POSTS IN THE LAST 24 HOURS | tips@gizmodo.com | SUBMIT A TIP | RSS
UK | FR | NL | IT | DE | SP | JP | AU
Posts Tagged “

Cars

”
alternative fuels

MicroFueler Home Ethanol Pump Unveiled, Ready For Pre-Orders

E-Fuel's MicroFueler, the home-based ethanol production system that makes gas from sugar or stale beer, was unveiled for the first time today in New York. E-Fuel says it will now take preorders for the $10,000 system, and will ship it by the end of the year. As you can see, it's not the smallest thing—no wonder the original image of it only showed a corner. Given its bulk and its price, what makes investing in this particular ethanol machine really worth it?
More »

2:10 PM on Thu May 8 2008
By Benny Goldman
17,790 views, 68 comments

Latest by VENAT0R: @pevans34: W00T! I like your style. People need to get over their paranoia of nuclear power already. There was a Scientific American article about fast neutron reactors a couple years ago everyone should read. more »

cars

Scientist Studies Cars That Speak and Listen Like KITT

KITTdash1.jpgI used to want a car just like KITT when I was a kid, though perhaps without that slightly annoying nasal voice. And now a Stanford scientist is looking at whether nattering to your vehicle may be good for you, the car, other road users and even (darnit) your insurers or advertising execs.
More »

7:02 AM on Thu May 8 2008
By Kit Eaton
1,603 views, 29 comments

cars

Volvo Creating Injury-Proof Car By 2020

Having been in the business of making incredibly safe vehicles for decades, Volvo is going one step further and making a "virtually" injury-proof car by the year 2020. "Virtually," because it will ensure all occupents survive all but the craziest wrecks. Not only is Volvo making the car more resistant to crashes, but they're putting stuff like radar and sonar in order to automatically force the car to brake when a collision is imminent, lowering death rates by half with just a 10 MPH decrease in smash speed. More »

7:15 PM on Mon May 5 2008
By Jason Chen
3,851 views, 33 comments

Latest by cabowah: Hey honey, my car is death prof . Sure that's a good pick up line more »

cctv britain

Crossing Guards Become Big Brothers

If you wanted a sure sign that the Orwell-ization of Great Britain is underway, then look no further than this. Lollipop ladies, those kindly old women who man the main roads next to school, similar to the US crossing guard, have been issued with video cameras to record lollipop rage—as school-side road rage is known. More »

10:45 AM on Wed Apr 30 2008
By Addy Dugdale
7,804 views, 78 comments

cars

Next Generation Prius Hybrid Is Bigger, More Powerful, With More MPG

AutoObserver reports that the next generation Prius will be four inches longer, get a more powerful 1.8 liter gas engine that when combined with electrics will do a total 160 horsepower (compared with 110hp in the current 1.5 liter setup). The kicker is that it'll be more fuel efficient, too. Using Japan's metrics for fuel economy, the current setup gets 84kpg, but the next gen has been reported to run 94 kilometers under the same conditions. The car is set to be unveiled in 2009. [AutoObserver, photo above of the Prius Concept, not the next gen model, thanks Mona for realizing the KPG and MPG differences.]

4:51 PM on Mon Apr 28 2008
By Brian Lam
10,986 views, 71 comments

Latest by D.LYTE: late to the game here, but gotta get in my two cents. first of all, because the technology represents a step forward for the environment does not automatically mean it's going to be cheaper in the long run. for example. a gallon more »

prius plug-in

Hymotion Prius Plug-in Conversion Kit Gives 100+ MPG For Short Distances

Like the previously released EDrive kit, this Hymotion Prius conversion package lets you convert your stock Prius into one that can be plugged in for charging. After a 4.5-hour charge time, your Prius will be able to use more battery power over about 30-40 miles in order achieve that mileage. More »

2:30 PM on Sun Apr 27 2008
By Jason Chen
11,956 views, 43 comments

Latest by Snicker: @pagan_god: 118,000 miles and counting. 2001 model Prius. And I've bought 2 sets of tires since I purchased the car. The original tires sucked, hydroplaned on an ant sneeze, but newer Goodyears took care of that. It's quiet, comfortable (if more »

diy

DIY G-Force Meter Turns Your Civic Into Top Gun

Perfect for Speed Racers and out-of-control Soyuz capsules, this DIY personal G-force meter attaches to your dashboard and enhances the driving experience when a mere speedometer won't do. The device measures acceleration/tilt on one axis and attaches to the windshield of your Porsche Honda Civic with a few suction cups. Three 7-Segment LED displays show instantaneous acceleration measurement to two decimal accuracy. Watch designer Chris build the meter in rhythm to techno music and pull a paltry 0.6 G's while braking after the jump. More »

10:15 AM on Sun Apr 27 2008
By Jack Loftus
6,649 views, 15 comments

Latest by ORryOwl: I really hate that these DIY's are always made with unnecessary music that would cause people to question my sexuality if played at a certain volume more »

autoliv pedestrian protection system

Autoliv's Hood Airbag System Saves Dumb Walkers From Dumb Drivers

Autoliv's new Pedestrian Protection System combines a hood that opens to cushion impact and a pair of hood mounted airbags to reduce the risk of serious injury when a car comes into contact with an unfortunate pedestrian, cyclist or motorcyclist. The tech's safety specs are impressive: "From almost certain death to less than a 15% risk of life-threatening injuries in a car-to-pedestrian impact at 40 km/h." [Autoliv via Autoblog via Inventor Spot]

7:06 PM on Wed Apr 23 2008
By Chris Magor
1,655 views, 20 comments

keyless entry watch

Chinese Car Maker Invents Keyless Entry Watch

The problem with Chinese made cars in the year 2008 is that they're complete shit. It's true. Maybe in a few years they'll catch up to the Koreans, the Japanese, the Americans and the Germans, but for now they'll have to be satisfied with unlocking their cars with their watches. Who wouldn't? More »

2:30 PM on Wed Apr 23 2008
By Jason Chen
3,504 views, 22 comments

gadgets

Fat Shark Wireless RC Glasses Let You See Through Your Car In First Person

We were too poor to play with RC cars when we were kids, but it seems like it was worth the wait in order for these Fat Shark Wireless RC Glasses to be invented. Strap the glasses on your face and you'll be able to see through the actual head of the RC driver. Better yet, the head can pivot and tilt so you're not always looking straight ahead in front of the car. We only wish it would be adapted for Top Gun 2008, the end result of which would be tons and tons of "pilots" puking on the ground. Video (of the ground model) after the jump. [Hobby Media] More »

12:14 PM on Wed Apr 23 2008
By Jason Chen
14,234 views, 60 comments

Latest by RaepGoblin: Please god tell me I can apply this to an existing RC car. I have nitro racing rcs that I really want to do this with. more »

cars

Paint Thickness Tester Won't Determine the IQ of Your Walls

A handy little gadget for those of you who prefer to buy second-hand cars rather than brand spanking new models that smell of plastic, Westfalia's paint-thickness tester will let you know if the vehicle has had a paint job—which can often mean it's been involved in a crash somewhere down the line. Here's how it works: More »

8:30 AM on Tue Apr 22 2008
By Addy Dugdale
4,784 views, 20 comments

vehicles

Exhaust Air Jack Lifts Your Car with a Toxic Balloon

I'm not much of a "car guy," but this Exhaust Air Jack seems like a pretty brilliant alternative to your normal jacks. Simply plug the hose into your exhaust pipe, stick the balloon under the frame of the car, and let the exhaust lift the car up so you can change the tire. Apparently, it's strong enough to lift a three-ton vehicle 18 inches for up to 45 minutes, which should be enough time for even the most inept of us to change a tire. Hit the jump for a video of it in action. More »

11:53 AM on Mon Apr 21 2008
By Adam Frucci
19,064 views, 132 comments

Latest by hnkelley: @daftrok: You mean this: [www.amazon.com] Or, less costly, this: [en.wikipedia.org] @i4ni: Actually, I've done this... and with existing tools, so I never considered that this wasn't on the market. Working with emergency services here in the LA area, we learn to more »

retromodo

1930s Steam Cooker Uses Car Exhaust To Cook For, Poison Your Family

Before the advent of the drive-through, families on road trips were stumped by the dilemma of how to have a hot meal ready at any time during their travels. But never fear, 1930s road warrior — hook up this automatic food cooking contraption to your exhaust pipe and your car will prepare your dinners for you! More »

11:30 AM on Sat Apr 19 2008
By Elaine Chow
7,071 views, 25 comments

safety first

European Company Looks To Make a Death Proof Car

It may not be Kurt Russell's stunt car, but if a European company named Prevent is successful in its quest, the world will have the first "uncrashable" vehicle. As their name suggests, the approach they are taking does not involve any space age armor to avoid damage in the event of an accident, rather, the focus is on new technologies that prevent accidents from occurring in the first place. A list of some of these innovations are listed after the break. More »

5:30 PM on Thu Apr 17 2008
By Sean Fallon
8,823 views, 36 comments

Latest by skeksis: None of those warnings will help if you're texting with one hand and changing the radio station with the other. They need to make an idiot-proof car before they make a death-proof one. more »

ghetto

The Most Ghetto Car Stereo Ever Makes Duct Taped Windows Seem Classy

We've no idea how old this image is—it's probably been floating around the internet for a while—but unless we see any other possible entries, we're going to award this the Most Ghetto Car Stereo Ever trophy. If you've got an old beater from the 1970s or '80s, you can actually make your own! I know! It's seriously making a statement to potential stereo thieves. A statement that says, "really, your self-esteem is low enough that you'll steal THIS? How about I just give you five bucks and we call it even?" [My Confined Space via Gearfuse via Tech Digest]

4:30 PM on Thu Apr 17 2008
By Jason Chen
15,000 views, 56 comments

Latest by LOLLYJOLLY: TECH NOTE: A SIMPLE HOT KNIFE MOD TO THE TRAY WILL MAKE IT COMPATIBLE WITH 32 OZ. AND EVEN 48 OZ.CUPS. THERE IS ALSO AN ANALOG OUTPUT JACK ON THE BACK OF THE DECK IF YOU CAN'T SPARE A HEADPHONE JACK FOR more »

fashion

Nissan Uses Old Suit To Build Cars, Score Early Bird Specials

To help its engineers better understand the challenges that the elderly have behind the wheel (and feed the fears of Japan's midlife crisis population), Nissan has developed an "old suit" simulating stiff movements, blurred vision, bad balance and extra weight (probably to simulate weaker strength). It all makes sense to us, save for the harsh generalization of the warp-around eyewear. Can't we get this engineer a pair of blurry contacts or something? Maybe some that give him a sexier eye color, even? It's already embarrassing enough to drive 25 in a 40 while soiling a diaper, trust us on this one. [reuters]

8:51 AM on Wed Apr 16 2008
By Mark Wilson
2,972 views, 26 comments

Latest by LUV2CattleCall: Ford had their engineers dress up as women with purses, skirts, long nails, and lipstick for the explorer awhile back. The nails led resulted in that "cavity" behind the door handle, the purses in better storage areas, the skirts in more »

dlo

DLO VentMount iPhone Car Holder is Practical, Convenient

Using a car's AC vents to hold cellphones is an old idea. Using a car's AC vent to hold an iPhone so you can watch movies/Cover Flow your way through your music is a new idea. DLO's VentMount seems like an incredibly practical way to keep your iPhone/iPod Touch within short reach, especially in cars (like ours) that don't have a convenient cupholder location to shove it into. It's not mindblowing, but it's $24.99 we'd gladly spend for usability's sake. [DLO]

6:50 PM on Tue Apr 15 2008
By Jason Chen
5,201 views, 29 comments

Latest by LUV2CattleCall: @dynamius: Screw that....they can pry my hacked OEM GPS screen that can display movies from my cold, dead hands! more »

tesla

Tesla Sues White Star Ex-Designer for Sabotage

Tesla Motors, maker of the much hyped (and well reviewed) electric Roadster is suing Fisker Automotive, the outfit behind fake vroom-y Karma, for stealing Tesla's design and trade secrets. Supposedly, this pushed the sale date for Tesla's four-door sedan, White Star, back six months, to 2010. Henrik Fisker (the eponymous founder) was hired by Tesla to design White Star. Tesla alleges he took the $875,000 contract, sabotaged Tesla's project with sub-par work, and then made off with their secrets and designs, using the money to launch his rival electric car effort. More »

10:45 AM on Tue Apr 15 2008
By matt buchanan
6,845 views, 59 comments

Latest by flyboy: view my portfolio:coroflot.com/glenn_johnson more »