Spectators can also watch the action via a 60-inch Sharp LCD that's mounted to the back of the truck.

"We've taken the idea of what would it be like to take an off-road vehicle and still be able to play your favorite video games in remote locations," said David Williams, a Toyota marketing planner.

Totally silly, but props for going completely over the top. The license plate holder even says "My other car is a Warthog". Lots more pics and info at: [Jalopnik and PickupTrucks]

Toyota, who's Prius is easy on the environment to drive but horrible on it to make, has engineered a new type of flower to help shoulder some of the damage their factories are spitting out.

The sage derivative's leaves have unique characteristics that absorb harmful gases, while the gardenia's leaves create water vapour in the air, reducing the surface temperature of the factory surrounds and, therefore, reducing the energy needed for cooling, in turn producing less carbon dioxide (CO2).

Well, holy shit. That is pretty insane. [Drive via Treehugger]

The car is being shown by the Japanese manufacturer at the Tokyo Auto Show 2009. [El Mundo—Thanks Eduardo González]

While Toyota may have the worst track record for iPhone/iPod support in the entire car industry, their new hybrid Lexus LF-Ch Concept sports these very clever docks in the headrests. I'm guessing that an intense game of TapTap Revenge could get a little tiresome for the driver, but otherwise, why not? Because I outright refuse to hold my iPod, and the generally required extra servant takes up a lot of space in a backseat. [Jalopnik]

Officially, this video shows that Carnegie Mellon researchers have given Asimo the ability to detect and avoid moving and stationary objects while in pursuit of a goal. Unofficially, researchers at Carnegie Mellon have fueled the cliched "robot uprising" that we joke about from time to time.

The one positive in all this is that anyone not wearing a large blue dot in the near future will most likely be spared. [YouTube via Plastic Pals via BotJunkie via OhGizmo]

For comparison's sake, Honda's Asimo robot can only manage a meager 6 km/h. We assume Toyota was able to squeeze the extra kilometer per hour out of their robot with a strict training regimen and what can only be described as a mild dose of physical abuse—their robot can re-balance itself when pushed lightly, as you can see in the video.

Just don't get too pushy, young lady. Word on the street is these robot things are about ready to rise up and kill us all. [Jalopnik, YouTube via Smart Machines]

I don't know if they are going to retire the daisies when the campaign is over, but I hope they don't. I like some flowah-powah here and there. [The Design Blog]

Seeing technology applied in a field that has the potential to help so many makes for a nice change sometimes, ya know? The breakthrough comes from scientists at the BSI-Toyota Collaboration Center, which teams various groups including Toyota Motor and the mostly-Japanese-government-funded RIKEN
research unit).

At this stage, the system centers on an electroencephalograph (EEG) scanner cap that the wheelchair user wears so their brain waves can be scanned and analyzed by a computer. The result is the ability to make movements almost in real time. Stopping is reportedly a little harder, with the user having to puff up a cheek to trigger a detector worn on the face. Still, that's pretty freakn'cool. [Jalopnik]

Still, this Toyota Prius Hearse plans to unleash its green yuppie fury on Japan's funeral circuit. For just $80,000 a pop, you too can ride around (rotting) in the finest of posthumous eco luxury. According to a rough translation and some metric conversion, it looks like this supersized Prius gets 52 miles per gallon. That's really pretty good for a dead person mobile. It's just too bad you won't be around to appreciate the fuel savings while giving smug looks to truck drivers at the pump. [Press Release via Japan Probe]

The rumored MR2 Hybrid is said to be built around the Prius design, but would go 0-60 in under 7 seconds and come equipped with paddle shifters. Jalopnik thinks that the engine would be similar to the FT-HS's 3.5-liter, V6 Hybrized innards from a few of years ago. The price? Supposedly it's would only be around $24,000. I think I'm starting to get hot flashes. [Auto Express via Jalopnik]

It's a simple idea: You control car functions (like the stereo) with buttons on the wheel while the Tracer Display superimposes these buttons over your dashboard display. In other words, you can keep an eye on your speedometer instead of your wheel while searching for the one radio station not playing commercials.

And even though this display is a bit blurry in this shot, you can tell that the graphic overlay is really quite bright and sharp. Neat stuff...as if Prius owners needed another reason to be so smug. [KickingTires, Jalopnik]

Named the 1/X (pronounced 1-x'th) after the fraction of its carbon footprint compared to other vehicles, the hybrid is greener than others not only because of it gas mileage: Compared to standard petroleum-based plastic, bioplastic allegedly produces up to 60 percent less carbon dioxide and uses about 30 percent less energy as well.

Toyota plans on presenting their 1/X concept car at the Melbourne Motor Show on Feb. 28, even though it could be another 15 years until this seaweed car actually makes it to production. Here's hoping that when it comes into fruition, Jason gets one to review just so we could joyride it into a lake of Miso. Yummy. [Wired]

This bump is attributed to their new lithium ion battery, which can store more power than the nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries found in traditional Prius models. The testing is ongoing, and there is no word on when we might actually be able to purchase the plug-in, but this is definitely encouraging news for anyone sick of lining the pockets of big oil companies. [Automotive News-subscription]

As previously mentioned, the car also has a solar panel used in the roof used to ventilate the car while parked, reducing AC usage once in motion, and LED taillights and daytime running lights.

The fore mentioned Ford dash, here:

Full details of the new Prius are over at Jalopnik.
[NetCarShow via Jalopnik]

Nikkei explains that following their first operating loss in 70 years, Toyota wants to make an aggressive move in the market with a solar car. But to make it work with current solar efficiency, some of the car's energy comes from solar panels on the vehicle, but some of the energy also comes from solar panels on one's house. (Does that imply it'll plug in to the wall as well, sans solar?)

According to the report, Toyota also hopes to release a real 100% solar car (not needing the house part) in the future. And we hope so, just to watch all those haughty Prius owners be usurped. [AP via Jalopnik]

Your listing for Current TV, since we didn't think that we got the channel either:

DIRECTV 358
Comcast Nationwide 107
Dish Network 196
Time Warner Nationwide – check local listings
AT&T U-verse 189

Robot Nation host and journalist, Adam Yamaguchi, talked to eight different Japanese robot researchers/companies about the explosion of robots predicted in Japan over the next few decades—including Honda about their robot superstar Asimo, as we see in this clip.

"Honda's probably the first company with the wide-enough reach to get [a Robot] inside every home, and they're thinking 10 years," Yamaguchi told us. "But smaller companies are bringing products to market now."

We'll be checking it out for sure.

The HAR uses five cameras and six lasers to map and navigate your home, and it can move its various appendages with some degree of freedom (the neck alone can be moved in three directions while the arms move an impressive seven).

With all of this hardware at its disposal, HAR can open and close doors, tidy up rooms, mop floors, do laundry and put away dishes. The robot is even smart enough to move furniture as necessary and place it back in its original position.

Just how the robot can learn from its mistakes was unclear, but the programming seems to operate on simple "Magic Eye"-type principals distinguishing what's different about a room from its original room image and correcting the differences accordingly.

The robot can run 30 to 60 minutes per charge and can be expected to arrive at homes in the next decade for $10,000. [Asahi via CrunchGear]

Call me crazy, but shouldn't car commercials advertise real features of a car rather than invented features? I get that they want you to think Toyota is thinking of the future, but clearly this isn't the real future. Why don't you focus on making a hydrogen engine that people can afford and leave the special effects to the pros, mmkay? [NotCot]