Gizmodo: smart

Tesla-Smart Collaboration Produces Underwhelming Electric Car

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 16:30:00 EDT

The Smart fortwo seems like a perfect candidate for the electric makeover, and with Tesla lending its expertise to the project, we all expected an impressive showing. But to be honest, we're not thrilled.

The fortwo is a tiny, tiny car, and we're sort of surprised it took so long to be fitted with electric guts. But the Tesla-Smart version still only has a range of 100 miles, and promises to cost even more than the gas or diesel versions, which already retail for about $20,000. Our brothers at Jalopnik estimate this version will come in even pricier. It's got a ton of power, since it's featuring the same motor and gearbox as the Tesla Roadster, but in this kind of car we'd expect to see a little economy of power rather than superfast acceleration. [AutoblogGreen]

SMART Table for Kids is Like a Cheaper, Funner-er Microsoft Surface

John Herrman — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 07:10:58 EDT

As much fun as it is to tinker with Microsoft's multitouch Surface table, most of its applications have been decidedly gimmicky. By offering a lower price (sooner than MS), more compact design, and more complete suite of software, SmartTech wants to bring multitouch tables to the people who would probably most appreciate them — kids. From the video (and press release), it looks as if the SMART Table has a nearly identical — if not better — set of capabilities to the Surface: multitouch, gesture support, a 27in screen and a super-simple SDK. Details are slim at the moment, but the price is a comparatively low $7000, so expect to see the SMART Table popping up in more affluent school districts as early as Spring 2009. [SMART via Crunchgear]

Panasonic Smart Home Probably Won't Try to Kill You like HAL 9000

Dan Nosowitz — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Panasonic demoed their Smart Home concept at CEATEC this week. Smart Home seems to be an integrated system that controls the electronics in your house, from lighting to air conditioning to multimedia. Even the television will slide to follow you around, which actually looks sort of creepy and desperate.

The mirror isn't a mirror at all but a huge touch-based LCD equipped with cameras, so you can touch icons of clothes and see an animation of how you would look without having to try them on. This is the first step towards robopocalypse, if you ask me, but the models in their pristine all-white apartment don't look too scared.

Topia One-Seat Electric HUVO Prototype Might As Well Be Shaped Like a Coffin

Jack Loftus — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:00:00 EDT

With the arrival of Topia's one-seater prototype, I think it's finally safe to say the SMART car has something it can take in a fight. Called the HUVO, this diminutive electric car forgoes features like "well-being" and "sanity" for "lightweight" (330 lbs.) and "Jesus Christ watch out for that MINI Cooper!" To save weight and development costs, the HUVO is made out of materials that would make any contemporary golf cart proud; mainly plastic, ceramic, more plastic, and a bit of high-tensile steel plate. Although, as the headline implies, if HUVO goes into production Topia should probably just make the thing out of a nice, sturdy wood, and save your immediate family a step at the funeral parlor.

[Tech-On]

Brainstorming Room Accelerates Ideas to Warp 9

Jesus Diaz — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 16:00:00 EDT

This is Kage Roi, a room that listens to conversations using speech recognition. It identifies keywords and constantly searches the web for related material, displaying information and images to help brainstorming sessions. In theory, combined with lighting that simulates the changes in sunlight, boosts people's creativity. An amazing idea that, for obvious reasons, we would never be able to use here at Giz. [Pink Tentacle]

SMART Car Vending Machine Only Dispenses Marketing Materials, False Hope

Jack Loftus — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 15:30:00 EDT

Here I was, credit card in hand, ready to fly across the Pacific and purchase my very first SMART Car from a vending machine, when I'm told it's just some advertisement. Sure, SMART Cars can't float (they can barely survive the SUV-congested streets of the U.S.), and the Japanese steer on the opposite side of their automobiles than us Yanks, but this was the promise of a car via a vending machine. I would have figured out a way to bring it home and make it work. To paraphrase the late, great comedian Mitch Hedberg, things are just better when they fall.

[PlaySmart.jp via Trends in Japan]

Ladybag Idea Uses RFID to Tell You If You've Forgotten Anything

AddyDugdale — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 09:50:53 EDT

In the words of the Conchords, a team of Canadian students just wanted to do something special for the lay-deez of the world. And so they came up with the Ladybag concept. It's a smart bag that uses RFID technology to ensure that you leave the house with those three staples you need in the modern world: mobile; keys; and wallet.

Developed by a team at Canada's Simon Fraser University, the bag, which uses RFID technology, also has LED icons on the side, which illuminate when the bag is missing an object, while a smiley emoticon lights up when you're ready to go. I think they left off the lipstick icon, though. [Ladybag via Talk2MyShirt]

Next Gen Zune Could Have Smart Shuffling

Brian Lam — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 17:51:04 EST

At Microsoft's Techfest, a researcher was showing off a smart shuffle system that uses tags and meta data like tempo and genre to direct playlist creation in a portable music device. The demo was being done on a first generation Zune.

The system is being developed in direct response to the huge number of songs people carry around on their media players, and specifically the millions of songs a Zune library can stock using a Zune pass. The system automatically recommends new songs based on songs played, and the logic is continuously "steered" by voting tracks up and down.

Take-A-Seat Concept Has Your Library Chair Follow You Around Like a Dog After a Bitch on Heat

AddyDugdale — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 07:45:17 EST

This idea, by Eindhoven graduate Jelte Van Geest, is for a smart chair. Wave your library card in front of the chair's sensor and it will follow you around like a lovesick puppy, providing somewhere for you to park your butt while you flick through various tomes in the library. Now, is this where I write something about saluting our smart-chair overlords, or something? [Core77 via Fresh Creation]

Smart Mug Heats, Maintains Liquid Temperature

Jason Chen — Fri, 27 Apr 2007 20:00:23 EDT

As good as regular mugs are, that damn second law of thermodynamics always wins out in the end, making sure your hot coffee is now just bitter luke-warm liquid. But with the Smart Mug, all you have to do is set a temperature, plug it into your car's cigarette lighter, and you've got yourself some always-hot beverages.

The only thing to watch out for is spillage, which at 160 degrees (the maximum this cup can heat up to), will make sure you never have to use contraception again. – Jason Chen

Product Page [Gifts and Gadgets via Gearlog]

tvCompass's Wi-Fi Smart Remote Programs From the Couch

Jason Chen — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 20:30:52 EST

If having to sync your Logitech Harmony with your PC isn't for you, check out the Wi-Fi Smart Remote from tvCompass. Using Wi-Fi, you can download remote info directly from the remote, which saves you time and energy by not having to run back and forth from the living room to your den.

The remote itself has 802.11b/g, can control 24 devices, and a 2.2-inch QVGA color screen. It's not for sale yet, but we'll let you know when it is and how much it'll cost.

– Jason Chen

Product Page [tvcompass via Mobile Mag]

Bus to the Future

Jason Chen — Tue, 23 Jan 2007 18:20:47 EST

The Capoco systems driverless bus truly is the bus of the future. Designed to put hundreds of thousands of bus drivers out of work, it has giant windowed sides as well as enough seating for most of a high school basketball team.

The bus itself uses magnets in the road to navigate, and has satellite and intelligent cruise control as well as hazard avoidance and other super-smart stuff. People can "hail" the bus to pick them up at a specific place by using their phones, and will be able to do so within few years (prototype coming in 2008). Getting on the short bus has never been so delightful. – Jason Chen

Futuristic Driverless Electric Bus [Born Rich]

Smart Coming to the States?

johnb — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 09:18:12 EDT

John here, writing from beautiful Poland, which is in Europe. I'm only posting this because I'm so in love with the discontinued Smart forFour, which is the successor to the forTwo—the Smart two seater. Apparently the forTwo will soon be available in the US and I'm really looking forward to test driving one, weaving in and out among the SUVs like a pre-death-of-the-dinosaurs rodent.

No hard news, but it looks like Mercedes will try to sell Smarts for a little under $15,000 and that it should be available next month. Sure, it looks small and dangerous, but it's surprisingly refreshing.

Smart decision to come in May [LeftLaneNews via MobileMag]

Indium SMART Flashlight

gizmogo — Fri, 04 Nov 2005 11:29:33 EST

I know there's a whole group of gadget fans out there who go especially ga-ga for flashlights. Well prepare to drop your jaw, because here's a flashlight that's actually user-configurable — you can even connect it via USB and program new settings for it from your PC! The Angus Noble Indium Smart flashlight can also swap out certain hardware elements, like change out the LEDs from a Luxeon 3W to a K2 emitter. As for the software, you can adjust a whole bunch of settings, such as variable gamma correction, or program in sequences of strobes and fades, perhaps to recreate a Morse code message (there's a handy text box where you can enter the message you want to display). Set the maximum LED drive current to 1200mA if you want, or just because you can. What, you thought all your flashlight could do is turn on and off? No idea what the pricing or availability is, though we'll find out once the Indium is released.

Site [AngusNoble via GadgetBlog via OhGizmo]