Gizmodo: gas

Digital BBQ Tongs: For When Geeks Gas Up The Grill

Danny Allen — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 03:48:23 EDT

These trusty tongs have a built-in sensor that let you monitor your meat's internal temperature on its backlit LCD display. The neat part: they also alarm when your steak is ready, and double as an LED flashlight. Versalicious!

The $39.98 stainless steel tongs have presets for seven types of meat (along with one custom setting), and require two AAA batteries.

A perfect compliment to some of the grilling gizmos we've covered in the past, no? [Taylor Gifts via 7Gadgets and DVICE]

Summermodo is a chance for Giz to get outside and test our gear where it belongs.

If You Can Light the Water Coming From Your Tap on Fire, You Might Have a Problem

Adam Frucci — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 17:20:00 EDT

A couple in Colorado thought they detected the scent of gas coming from their tap water. The test was simple: put a match to their water. What resulted is both awesome and terrifying.

Unfortunately, they're having a hell of a time finding the source of the natural gas leak that's causing their water to be so flammable.

The Colorado Oil and Gas Commission leaders say it's tried to find the origin of the leak. Director Dale Neslin says "We've looked at well compilation reports, taken gas samples to look for a match, done pressure testing and we've not been able to find the well that appears to be causing the problem."
The Ellsworths say they approached Noble Energy and Anadarko Petroleum - the two companies that operate the nearby wells - and begged for help. They say the companies initially refused to do anything. But, at the urging of the Oil and Gas Commission, they have now agreed to put in a water treatment system at the home.

[CBS 4 Denver via Boing Boing]

Gas Gripper Rests Your Forearm Muscles At the Pump

Jason Chen — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:45:00 EST

It's rare to find a pump that doesn't have a latch to lock into the "on" position, but if you find one, the Gas Gripper will keep you from overexerting your forearms while filling up.

Although we spend most of our day atrophying our already pathetic muscles, we can still manage to keep that lever in place while filling up. But seniors and people with disabilities may find this simple gadget incredibly useful, and $4.98 (for two) is a cheap price to pay for convenience.

It's static resistant and the site says it won't interfere with the automatic safety shutoff when your tank is full. Which means no gas hose fights. Darn. [Taylor Gifts via Nerd Approved]

Gas Pump Blue Screen of Death is Poo Poo Inducing

Jason Chen — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:00:00 EST

Seeing a Windows blue screen of death is fine, if annoying, if you're just balancing your checkbook, but what if you see it in more...precarious situations? Like when you're pumping gas? Reader Dave saw this at a San Diego Shell station, after which he bravely continued filling up—but not without hiding his face behind his arm to shield himself from the inevitable gas station explosions of death. You're a ballsy man, Dave. See the close up after the jump. [Thanks Dave!]

iPhone's Gas Cubby Car Care Tracker Is Anal So You Don't Have To Be

Jason Chen — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:00:00 EST

We played with Gas Cubby, the car maintenance tracking tool for iPhone, and can say that the $5 is a pretty low price to pay if you really want to keep your ride in good condition. Among its many hardcore features are gas price fill-up tracking and graphing, service tracking and data (insurance, VIN) storage. We all know that we're supposed to get and document regular service on our cars, but who the hell remembers? By tracking your gas purchases (which you get much more frequently), Gas Cubby will remind you of when those tires need rotating or when filters need replacement. Pretty damn good for $5, I'd say. [Gas Cubby]

Related: Gizmodo's Essential Iphone Apps

Handmade Scythe Car Looks Like a Toy, is KITT-like Computerized

Kit Eaton — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 08:30:00 EST

It may look like one of the wilder fantasy toy cars you used to play with all those years ago, but Scythe is nothing like a toy when you look at its stats. Two steering wheels, twin-supercharged 1,005 horsepower engine, composite body handmade by Galpin Auto Sports, backwards rotating door design and a 3G-connected Shuttle PC inside. This handles realtime traffic and weather monitoring, and is voice activated for some KITT-like chatting car action. There's even a set of flush-mounted external security cameras. OK, so that does make it sound a lot like a toy, but it's a toy for fast-driving grown-up kids. [Jalopnik]

Japan: Where Sex Robots Permeate Every Aspect of Society

Mark Wilson — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 15:00:00 EDT

That headline may seem like an exaggeration, but we're talking about a country that uses sex robots to promote energy companies. Tokyo Gas is airing this commercial in which a typical salaryman takes a down and out attractive female robot home only to be educated in the practical wonders of natural gas (before his natural instincts kick in). Japanese advertisers, I have no clue what you're saying, but you're certainly speaking my language. [Tokyo Gas via DVICE]

HDTVs Have Hidden Feature: Poison Gas

Matt Hickey — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:30:00 EDT

Did you know that your HDTV has a gas in it that could make you and your family sick and destroy the planet? It's true, a gas called Nitrogen Trifluoride, and it's bad stuff. Apparently thousands of times worse for the planet than CO2, it's a greenhouse compound that could significantly contribute to global warming. And it's bad to inhale, poisoning your liver and kidneys. It's not a real issue right now, but when landfills of the future start filling up with older HDTVs, it could be a problem. Luckily by then we'll have colonized another planet to mess up. [CrunchGear]

PLX Kiwi Saves You Gas By Teaching You Not To Drive NASCAR Style

Jason Chen — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 13:39:03 EDT

PLX Kiwi, as seen above, is a plug-in device that analyzes how you drive and teaches you how to do it in the most gas-efficient way possible. Although you could easily accomplish the same thing by yourself after reading some tips online—Kiwi says you get about 20-33% improvement in your MPG—it's easier to have something always there reminding you to not gas so hard or drive so fast or brake so much. There's also "challenges" that teach you how to do this, which could be a fun distraction when you're driving along a long stretch of highway. On the other hand, the Kiwi has a MSRP of $299, which takes a bit of savings to earn back. [PLXDevices]

Range Kitchen Concept, for Mobile Cooking at Home

Kit Eaton — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 07:56:15 EDT

Ok, tackling the standard kitchen design for improved eco-friendliness or chicness makes sense, but for portability, like this Whirlpool Range concept? Nope... don't see it. I mean designer Weston Boege has made it look all very nice, with those curvaceous lines and wooden accents. And his design squeezes in a small oven and stove-top gas burners, along with track-style wheels for mobility. But I'm not sure I'd ever want to trundle one gas bottle-laden component about the house so that I could cook near the dining table or outdoors. Surely that's what barbecues and zipping out to a Japanese restaurant for some at-table theatre cooking is all about? [Born Rich]

Fisher & Paykel Izona Cooksurface: Gas Range Goes High-Tech

Kit Eaton — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 06:31:50 EDT

Fisher and Paykel have had a re-think of the humble kitchen range. Their new Izona Cooksurface looks more like a ceramic electric hob than a gas one, and dumps the four-burner pattern that nearly every other range uses. Though this gives you fewer cooking stations, it at least means you won't set your sleeves on fire reaching for the back ones anymore.

Most cleverly, it's got retracting pot supports, burners and controls, so when it's off its glass surface is easy to clean —handy for splash-it-all-around cooks like me. Add in extra-precise temperature control and LED displays, and you really do have a 21st Century gas cooking range. Sadly, it's a project and not quite ready for production yet, though it has just been shortlisted in the Australian International Design Awards. [MarkPascua]

Subtle Butt Gas Neutralizers Kill Farts Dead

Sean Fallon — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:30:14 EST

Last month we came across a patent application for a fart protector, but patent applications wont help that fat guy in the Mexican restaurant when the beans start kicking in. Fortunately, help is on the way in the form of an actual product called Subtle Butt. Like the patent application, Subtle Butt uses activated carbon/charcoal to neutralize noxious fumes. It also features a soft fabric with an antimicrobial treatment for added protection. And the best part is that there is an actual video demonstrating the product. Hilarious. Available for $9.95 in packs of 5. [Product Page via Yes But Not Yes]

Afternoon News: Robo-Pimpin' Ain't Easy and Some Other Stuff

Benny Goldman — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 15:59:00 EST

• Traffic camera in Capitola, California is way too sensitive, issues tickets to innocent drivers 60% of the time. Makes sense to me, the only California drivers I've ever seen aren't much for speeding. [Ubergizmo]
• UPS using software to minimize left-hand turns in their deliveries, claims it will save three million gallons of gas per year. Not turning left when you have the ability is just rude to guys like this. [NY Times]
• MTV held a Rock Band competition less than a month after the game was released. I can't decide who is more pathetic, the "bands", the people who showed up to watch, or what must be a very desperate Sebastian Bach. [MTV]
• Activision gets sued for claiming Guitar Hero III is in Dolby Pro Logic II when it is actually in mono. The overly-litigious audiophiles may have a point, but they are still dweebs in my book. [Game|Life]
• Toshiba has developed a process to increase the capactiy of flash memory to 12.5GB. If terms like "double tunnel layer technology" get you more worked up than the porn you'll be storing on the drive, read on. [Electronista]

FuelPod2 Brings the BioDiesel Processing Plant to Your Driveway

Adrian Covert — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 14:10:06 EST

I like the idea of Biodiesel because it means cheap, clean-burning fuel. Or in the case of FuelPod2, free, clean-burning fuel. The FuelPod2 takes any used cooking oil you may have, and converts it into usable Biodiesel, which runs in any standard diesel engine. The FuelPod can convert up to 50 litres (just over 13 gallons) at a time, nearly enough for a full tank in an average car. However, unless you own a restaurant on the side specializing in fried food, finding enough oil for this thing might be a challenge. The FuelPod2 is selling in the UK for 2,056 pounds. [Red Ferret]

Afternoon News: XM-Sirius Merger Gets Serious, Gas Pumps Lie, and Mice Now Fearless

Benny Goldman — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:35:57 EST

• XM and Sirius shareholders approve merger, next stop: the FCC. [AP]
• Gas pumps that measure 1/1000th of a gallon really just trick you into thinking you're getting more gas. [Gadget Lab]
• Scientists genetically engineer mouse that isn't afraid of cats; rodent homicide rate expected to spike soon. [Pink Tentacle]

The Tank Prevents Propaneous Interruptus

Charlie White — Fri, 17 Aug 2007 10:30:00 EDT

If you grill using propane fuel, you need The Tank. It prevents that common problem where you suddenly run out of gas in the middle of an intense cooking session—it's propaneous interruptus. The Tank is a typical 20-lb. propane container with a major difference: It has a gauge on top, an indicator valve that's accurate because it measures the liquid propane content and not just the amount of pressure in the tank. And hey, that gauge glows in the dark, too.

What a basic concept! You can clearly see how much propane you have left in the tank. At $53.98, it's significantly more expensive than normal tanks, but the company's offering a summer special with free shipping. Sounds great, but we're just thinking that all propane tanks should be this way. That's the reason why we had a natural gas line installed, and now we never worry about running out of propane, but are always concerned about leaving the gas running for a week at a time. [The Tank]

Scientists Figure Out How to Grow Gas From Bacteria

Adam Frucci — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:50:42 EDT

In our current quest to stop giving the kings of Saudi Arabia billions of dollars to build yachts and bombs via our love affair with gasoline, some scientists at a company called LS9 claim to have figured out a way to grow petroleum from bacteria. The exciting prospect could shoot us to energy independence in a matter of years, as LS9 says their tech will be ready for the prime time in just a few years.

How does it work?

The company is employing tools from the field of synthetic biology to modify the genetic pathways that bacteria, plants and animals use to make fatty acids, one of the main ways that organisms store energy. Fatty acids are chains of carbon and hydrogen atoms strung together in a particular arrangement, with a carboxylic acid group made of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen attached at one end. Take away the acid, and you're left with a hydrocarbon that can be made into fuel.

What does that all mean? I don't know, I'm no doctor. I just know that if we could grow our own gas it would solve a lot of problems. [Technology Review via The Raw Feed]

How to Find Cheap Gas with your Cellphone

Jason Chen — Fri, 18 May 2007 20:40:28 EDT

Remember GetMobio? That's the mobile phone app that gives you a bunch of stuff like movie listings, maps, RSS readers, and various ways to help you have fun at night. Well, they've just added a Gas app that helps you get the cheapest gas in your surrounding area.

Sure, you could just visit gasbuddy.com on a mobile phone that has a web browser, but if you've already GotMobio then why not add this one as well? That is, if you don't live on a farm, otherwise the whole suite is pretty worthless. And gas is pretty cheap there anyway (it's almost $4 here in the Bay Area). – Jason Chen

Product Page [GetMobio]

Scientists Working to Turn Sugar to Gas Without Use of Your Intestines

Adam Frucci — Thu, 01 Feb 2007 15:45:00 EST

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has put a healthy chunk of change behind some scientists who are working to figure out a way to turn sugar into diesel fuel. Ethanol can already be made by combining yeast and sugar (mmm, ethanol), but they think they can mess with some of those microbes to have them create something closer to traditional gasoline.

Anything that can ease our reliance on foreign oil sounds good to me. Keep it up, science. –Adam Frucci

Sugar in the gas tank? It might run your car someday [via Slashdot]

Ford to Ditch Gas Cap in 2008

Travis Hudson — Wed, 09 Aug 2006 14:39:58 EDT

Ford has announced their Capless Fuel Filler. Basically meaning that stupid cap that you have to unscrew will be no more. No more forgetting to screw it back in. Their new Capless Fuel Filler eliminates the need for a cap and prevents gas fume escapes. The new filler will be deployed in the 2008 Ford GT and Lincoln MKS with more models to come in the future.

(The Capless Fuel Filler is a) tangible example of how Ford is developing innovative product solutions to satisfy the unmet needs of consumers.

Aww, it is nice to see Ford is finally thinking of the needs of the consumers. <3 Ford. – Travis Hudson

Ford to deploy Capless Fuel Filler across model line [Leftlanenews]