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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?
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2:10 PM on Thu May 8 2008
By Benny Goldman
17,506 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 »

laptops

Asus' VX3 Lamborghini Laptop Arrives, Costs 2% of Real Lambo

Asus just gave a new look and hardware upgrade to its Lamborghini laptop. The VX3 edition has a 12.1" screen, weighs 3.6 lbs, and features such luxe amenities as a sapphire-crystal lens on the built-in camera, a handmade leather palm rest and a titanium alloy hinge. There is also the "authentic" Lamborghini logo to show all the kids at school what car you really want to drive when you're a balding 45-year-old with a sizable investment portfolio and two ex-wives. The PC specs aren't bad, but to be expected in a $3,300 laptop: 320GB HDD, a NVidia GeForce 9300 graphics card, Intel T9300 Core2 Duo chipset and 4GB of RAM, plus HSDPA wireless. [Asus]

9:09 AM on Thu Apr 24 2008
By Wilson Rothman
2,969 views, 15 comments

Latest by whootowl: But wouldn't putting MS Vista on this laptop be like having Gramdma Moses at the wheel of your Lamborghini? more »

transportation

Gasoline Grows On Trees

Apparently scientists (and some of our readers, surely) have known that we can grow oil for years, and not in the grow-corn-make-oil kind of way. The Brazilian Copaifera langsdorfii can be tapped (ala maple syrup) for a natural diesel fuel that requires only simple filtering before being poured into a truck. (This picture is of the tree's cells.) The catch? The diesel only has a shelf-life of about 3 months.

So how many trees would it take to match the oil output of, say, Saudi Arabia? Check our stats after the jump.

More »

9:50 AM on Wed Apr 2 2008
By Mark Wilson
54,314 views, 101 comments

Latest by jaramiewright: I think the best be in the long run is matter antimatter annihilation. Think about it a pure conversion of matter to energy (think E=mc2) its an amazing concept sure it might be a little farfetched now but think about more »

gps

Dash Express GPS Full Drive Review: Total Traffic Terminator

We've been ranting about this internet-connected Dash Express GPS for months. Over the past week, we were given the opportunity to test it out for ourselves on both coasts, over a thousand miles, through intense city driving in SF and NY and road trips into the wilds. It's the real deal, delivering out of the box the most impressive real time traffic system we've ever seen, one that only will get better as each Dash user hit the road creating a swarm network of traffic avoiding drivers. Here's why:

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1:27 AM on Thu Mar 27 2008
By Wilson Rothman
17,044 views, 47 comments

Latest by inspectorgadget420: I was a NRT (National Road Test(er)) for several months and bought the production version as soon as Dash made it available to us NRT members. It had some bugs in prototype and still had some bugs in production, BUT, more »

helivan

Jet-Powered Minivan Is Probably Batman's Aunt's Car

This van has been retrofitted with a Rolls-Royce Nimbus helicopter jet turbine by Chris Krug, who should really be working for Tony Stark. The jet turbine has about 1,000 shaft horsepower at 2,100 RPM, which allows it to do 1/8th of a mile at 103mph in 7.14 seconds. Not bad for a Dodge Caravan, especially one that can ride with the normal combustion engine, then reveal the turbine flipping its rear window. The turbine exhaust doesn't provide any thrust, however:
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9:50 AM on Tue Mar 4 2008
By Jesus Diaz
14,130 views, 23 comments

Latest by TheDeadPuppet: I don't want to be around when he installs the Flux Capacitor. I guess this minivan is good for quick trips to the store. Bring it up to the northeast where he can de-ice windshields in a jiffy. more »

toy fair 2008

$140,000 Hot Wheels Is Most Expensive Tiny Toy Car Ever

This $140,000 Hot Wheels car is allegedly the most expensive toy car in the world, created to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of Mattel's tiny cars and show why Humanity has way too much free time. Why is it so expensive? As you can see in the glittery images, it is all about the 23-carat bling-bling. More »

8:55 PM on Sat Feb 16 2008
By Jesus Diaz
50,358 views, 33 comments

airplanes

Evolution Pod Travels Through Land, Water and Air

Alexander Begak is a test pilot and the chief designer of Evolution, a flying pod that can travel on land, slide through water and snow, and fly thanks to a gliding parachute that acts as a soft, highly portable wing. The one or two-seater vehicle made of Kevlar and titanium was presented at the crazy 2007 Moscow Air Show, but it's now available starting at $7,200. While the Evolution looks nice, their most amazing personal planes are yet to come: the Sirius and Iris, after the jump.
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12:15 PM on Wed Feb 13 2008
By Jesus Diaz
36,298 views, 44 comments

Latest by citizen.lambda: @Bokusatsu_Tenshi: Bah, those've been around for a while, and not too many people kill themselves in them, but yeah, quite impractical to set up, but very practical to carry around (well moreso than a full size solid friggin wing anyways..) more »

tv

Top Gear Coming to NBC in Remake Form

I've got good news and bad news. First, the good: the amazing British auto show Top Gear is coming to the US! Now, the bad: it's in the form of a remake on NBC, haters of original ideas and kings of the unnecessary remake! That means that the wonderful hosts — Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond — won't be involved. Instead, knowing NBC, it'll probably be hosted by Macho Man Randy Savage, Vern Troyer and Alicia Silverstone. Time will tell whether or not they'll be able to pull the remake off (they did a damn good job with The Office, after all), but I'm more than skeptical. Hit the jump to check out my favorite Top Gear segment ever and then try to imagine NBC doing something half as entertaining. More »

9:37 AM on Tue Jan 15 2008
By Adam Frucci
23,433 views, 120 comments

Latest by dontforget: i was praying this wouldn't happen. i use to watch on BBC. is the show gone? use to be one of my favorite shows. more »

cars

What's the Worst Place in a Car to Put an LCD? We Report, You Decide

What do geeks do at a car show? Check out the LCD screens, of course. We just got back from the car showroom at CES and found some pretty awful examples of "pimping your ride." Take a look at the most ridiculous places these gearheads put their screens, and let's make fun of them together. More »

9:19 PM on Mon Jan 7 2008
By Benny Goldman
128,950 views, 67 comments

Latest by Tekniqal: LOL, its called advertising, those cars dont actually drive anywhere. Companies are getting publicity so everyone quit freaking out. more »

ces 2008

Mac In Da Front, Wii In Dat Back (If You Know What I Mean) (I Think You Do)

A car with a Mac mini in the front and a built-in Wii in the trunk. Check it... More »

7:53 PM on Mon Jan 7 2008
By Wilson Rothman
8,525 views, 22 comments

Latest by med: I'm 23 and have a G35 coupe...? No mid life crisis here? They are fantastic cars. I wanna do the mac mini thing eventually, but the upper glove box would make a much more suitable area for it IMO. more »

ces 2008

First Shots Under The Hood of the Chevy Volt Hydrogen

GM may have announced their Chevy Volt Hydrogen concept months ago, but attendees at CES are getting the world's first look under the hood of the eco-friendly beast. More than just a random rendering, one can see Chevy's direction with eco-cars in some very clear side-by-side trends when compared with the original Chevy Volt.

Our notes:

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2:44 PM on Mon Jan 7 2008
By Mark Wilson
11,307 views, 35 comments

Latest by MightyJoe: I am in LOVE with the concept of using hydrogen as an altenative energy source, but one thing that concerns me is this: If we stop buying oil from foregn sources, won't the price of oil inflate beyond the avearge more »

cars

Night Vision For Any Car: FLIR PathfindIR

The Bottom line: Remember that urban tale of the drug running lambo doing 200mph runs using merely night vision? FLIR, used to making commercial nightvision systems for law enforcement, marine, and airborne vehicle has trickled the tech into civilian hands. The PathfindIR is their first infrared night vision adaptable for any car, although they'll be demo'ing at CES in a BMW. The camera (below) gets mounted in a grill, and the AV output hooks into any LCD and even some dashboard nav systems. The video looks to be a relatively low res 320 x 240, with a wide 36º H x 27º V field of view. The best news: the IR system lets cars see 5x further than high beams.
The catch: Staring at a LCD on your dash sounds dangerous. Demo video after the jump. More »

5:28 PM on Fri Jan 4 2008
By Brian Lam
13,931 views, 29 comments

Latest by thinker62: These do not work in rain, snow and fog. Funny they don't tell you that. more »

star trek

Star Trek Car Air Horn: Proclaim Your Geekyness to the World at 118 dB

What geek can resist replacing their boring vehicle horn with a 5 trumpet Wolo 485 Star Trek Air Horn? With one push of a button, you can tell that dude who just cut you off to suck it with 118 dB of brain shattering power. The horns play the 5 most recognizable notes from the Star Trek theme — and hooking it up to your car is a simple matter of plugging it into your cigarette lighter and wiring the compressor directly to your vehicle's battery. No air tank or valve is needed. Now all you need is a custom Enterprise paint job. Available for $71. [Amazon via GeekAlerts]

7:30 PM on Wed Jan 2 2008
By Sean Fallon
5,585 views, 23 comments

Latest by Tankueray: Wasn't there one of these on the RV in that Robin Williams movie? I distinctly remember it being on an RV in some movie. more »

cars

Rumor: BMW Dropping iDrive For Apple Compatibility?

Autospies has a juicy rumor on BMW, iDrive, the iPod and an apparent dropping of one standard in favor of another. Their tipster tells them that BMW will drop the iDrive system—which has gotten not-so-fabulous reviews—in favor of an interface that they've collaborated with Apple on. It's unclear exactly what type of UI this would be, or whether it would allow the iPhone/iPod to dock into the car much like the recent Land Rover LRX Concept. [Auto Spies]

6:40 PM on Tue Dec 18 2007
By Jason Chen
8,377 views, 32 comments

Latest by JackRB: Anything would be an improvement over the iDrive system. BMW knows how to build a car that handles well. However, they are clueless when it comes to electronics. more »

tough toy

Video: Smartcar Slams Into Concrete Barrier at 70MPH


Thank goodness there was no one sitting in this Smartcar when it hit the wall at 70mph, but even though the German-made Mercedes vehicle is tiny, it's built like a truck. Remarkably, the door still opens after that tremendous impact. Maybe the Smartcar isn't a deathtrap after all. More »

11:22 AM on Mon Dec 17 2007
By Charlie White
15,242 views, 108 comments

Latest by bsoft: Uh, you are most likely DEAD if you hit a concrete barrier at 70mph, whether or not the vehicle maintains its shape. Front collisions against a concrete barrier aren't a very good test, even at 70mph. What we need to see are: - more »

robots

Smarter Honda ASIMO Can Self-Charge, Avoid People, Work In Groups

When scientists in some bunker in the year 2525 are trying to determine when humanity handed over the keys to the robot overlords, December 11, 2007, may be a good date, for on this day, Honda announced it had given its ASIMO servant robots three key abilities. Here we break them down, and provide a "Future Shock" analysis of each: More »

9:40 AM on Tue Dec 11 2007
By Wilson Rothman
30,459 views, 42 comments

Latest by ajile: @enine: becoz it would be safe for humans if the asimos ran around looking for "two holes" to plug in..... more »

advice

The Only Way to Score a Car of the Future...Now

Here is our best advice on how to score a "car of the future." Head to eBay and bid on this "Fastlane" car manufactured for a Universal Pictures project by famous film/GM concept car maker Trans FX. Buy it now for $14,999.99—an absolute steal to drive a car that no one will possibly own for at least 50 years. Oh, but there's just this one catch (along with some more pics): More »

11:15 AM on Fri Dec 7 2007
By Mark Wilson
32,630 views, 55 comments

Latest by mudman: Can someone lend me $14999.99. more »

cars

Nokia Kits Out Ford's Mustang

Ford has called in the big boys from Nokia to give their Mustang beast some serious connectivity options. Apparently, the vehicles exterior and performance based specifications remain unchanged, but the fun starts on the inside, with Nokia dropping N series goodies in every hole they could find. More »

6:15 PM on Sat Sep 29 2007
By Haroon Malik
5,697 views, 20 comments

Latest by n/a: I actually got a chance to get up close and personal with this mustang myself. I was ballsy enough to get the girl to pop the hood for me, but I'm pretty sure they should have told her not to more »