hybrids

Volkswagen’s New XL1 Plug-In Hybrid Promises 260 MPG

Volkswagen is showing off their new XL1 prototype at the Qatar Motor Show, and they’re proud of the fact it gets 261 miles per gallon with the plug-in electric/gas hybrid engine. But they’re also excited it will go into production. https://jalopnik.com/volkswagens-260-mpg-diesel-hybrid-coupe-5742891 The XL1 has a 2.0 liter, 47hp turbodiesel engine, along with a 27hp electric…

Tech News Adrian Covert Jan 29

Lenovo’s U1 Hybrid Hands On: Don’t Fool Me Twice

I’m having deja vu. I’ve definitely done this before. Except this time, when I try out the Lenovo U1 Hybrid, most of last year’s lingering doubts have been replaced by anticipation. https://gizmodo.com/ideapad-u1-hybrid-hands-on-meet-voltron-he-could-be-a-5440922 The U1 owes it most of its renaissance to its totally overhauled tablet. Instead of that proprietary Skylight OS, Lenovo’s finally embraced Android…

Tech News Brian Barrett Jan 7

Sony Creates Frankenstein TV With Built-In PlayStation 2

It’s baa-aack! Sony’s new Bravia KDL-22PX300 exhumes the PS2’s still-enjoyable corpse and packs into its own base. The 22-inch set won’t upscale PS2 titles, but supports 720p playback. It’s an odd inclusion, but would probably be a dorm room dream. The built-in PS2 will also support DVDs, of course, and the set’s got ethernet connectivity…

Television Sam Biddle Dec 3

Dell’s Hybrid Netbook-Tablet Might Be Flipping Your Way Next Week

The Dell Duo flip-top netbook/tablet hybrid is one of the most intriguing devices in recent memory. First it made a surprise introduction at IFA, then it was in a teaser video of high polish, and now CNET reports that it might be available next week. Specifically, the rumor has it, next Tuesday. https://gizmodo.com/dells-inspiron-duo-is-a-10-netbook-tablet-transformer-5637897 At this…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 16

Dell’s Flip-Top Tablet-Netbook Transformer Still Looks Bonkers In Official Vid

When Dell first showed off its Inspiron Duo at IFA, the hybrid tablet-netbook seemed like one very neat piece of vaporware. But! Could this promo video be a sign that Dell’s Duo dreams are actually coming true? https://gizmodo.com/dells-inspiron-duo-is-a-10-netbook-tablet-transformer-5637897 Hopefully! The vid doesn’t show off much more than what we already knew, albeit with a bit…

Tech News Brian Barrett Nov 4

How To Create a Real-Life Rabbit-Duck Illusion

It’s a venerable optical illusion, one of my favorites: look at it one way and it’s a rabbit, look another and it’s a duck. Here some crafty taxidermist has recreated the effect in real life; although I question his methods. Here’s the illusion as first conceived by Joseph Jastrow that first appeared in Harper’s Weekly…

Tech News Brian Barrett Oct 11

Three Teams Split $10 Million Automotive X-Prize

Of the 136 fuel-efficient vehicles entered into the 2010 Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize, three 100 MPG contenders emerged victorious this week to share in the $10 million prize. These are their names: The $5 million “Mainstream class” winner was Edison2’s Very Light Car (VLC), seen above. The 830 lb. lightweight achieves 100MPG+ by way of…

Tech News Jack Loftus Sep 19

Halfthings (a.k.a. when will see centaurs and Mr. Spock?)

Mermaids. Angels. Mister Spock. Speculative fiction sure enjoys a good mash-up, but how likely are we to see genuine human/other hybrids? It depends on what one means by ‘hybrid’. Agriculture depends on hybridization, of course, but hybrids also occur in the wild. It happens most often between closely related plants, but DNA testing is revealing…

io9 Kay Holt - Science In My Fiction Sep 11

iMac Touch Interface Shown Off In Apple Patent

How do you make an iMac desktop that doubles as a multitouch tablet? If you’re Apple: just like this. Why can’t the future be now already? The patent above, unearthed by Patently Apple, shows off Apple’s plans to bring together its desktop and tablet lines. Which explains how Mac OS X and iOS might actually…

Tech News Brian Barrett Aug 23

A Vinyl-CD Hybrid To Keep the Hipster-Yuppies Satisfied

Can’t vinyl and CDs get along? That’s the reasonable question posed by electronic/techno musician Jeff Mills, who has released his latest album on a two-for-one hybrid format. Thoughtful mediation, or sixth sign of the apocalypse? Check out the flip side: Personally, I’m always fan of the convergence of analog and digital. The album, called The…

Tech News Brian Barrett Jun 17

Lenovo Delays Skylight Smartbook and U1 Hybrid Indefinitely

Lenovo’s attempt to herald a category of mobile devices has been put off—again—as they announced today that they’re ditching their custom Skylight Linux UI in favor of Android. It’s a significant blow to the already dying smartbook category. https://gizmodo.com/smartbooks-are-dying-on-the-vine-thats-dumb-5549504 Building their own UI from the ground up was always a questionable move for Lenovo, especially…

Tech News Brian Barrett May 28

Improved Lithium Ion Batteries Deliver 10,000 Charges, 20 Year Lifespans

Eamex, a Japanese company, claims to have figured out how to greatly increase the lifespan of the high-capacity lithium-ion batteries that run hybrids and electric vehicles. The new batteries can supposedly survive 10,000 charge cycles and 20 years, which is quite a bit better than what we’ve got now. How do they work? The main…

Tech News Adam Frucci Feb 4

Fit For Jeff Bridges: BMW’s Vision Efficient Dynamics Hybrid Concept

Jalopnik is right. This see-through concept out of the BMW R&D wing would be best served with a side of Tron and a couple of light cycles. The video above is the official promo for the concept vehicle, which will, sadly, never see a showroom. For more, see Jalopnik, which has up a gallery and…

Tech News Jack Loftus Aug 30

The First Battery Swap Station for Electric Cars

Electric cars are a great idea until you need to drive beyond the range of your battery. What then? A company named Better Place unveiled their solution to the problem, a battery swap station. The $500,000 system works a lot like a car wash, with your vehicle placed on tracks while machines remove and replace…

Tech News Mark Wilson May 13

Ford Engineer Builds Street-Legal, 125 MPG Hybrid in His Garage

The “HyperRocket” was built by a Ford efficiency expert in his garage, and with two seats, a whopping 125 mpg, and a comfortable cruising speed of 65 mph, we’re awfully tempted to buy the thing. Yeah. It’s for sale. The creator, a guy named John, is selling the HyperRocket to make room for his next…

Tech News Dan Nosowitz May 9

Honda Creates Pixel Art From Hundreds of Car Headlights

This new Honda ad uses hundreds of car headlights to make pixel art. It’s neat looking, but you’ve got to wonder how much energy they wasted making this ad for a hybrid car. Ironic? [DailyWhat]

Tech News Adam Frucci Mar 26

Hyundai BLUE-WILL Would Clearly Like to Eat the Prius

Sure, plenty of car companies have already stepped up to manufacture hybrids. But Hyundai’s BLUE-WILL concept is the only one that resembles some sort of carnivorous, aquatic beast. The BLUE-WILL looks to be a pretty standard gas/electric hybrid, save for the lithium ion polymer battery pack hidden under the back seats that, like the Volt,…

Tech News Mark Wilson Mar 25

President Obama Details $2.4 Billion in Grants For Electric Vehicles

Speaking at the Edison Electric Vehicle Tech Center in Pomona, California, BHO dropped details on exactly who can and will receive money for helping put one million plug-in hybrids on the road by 2015. The plan is as follows: * The Department of Energy is offering up to $1.5 billion in grants to U.S. based…

Tech News John Mahoney Mar 20

Chinese Car Maker Begins Selling the F3DM, the World’s First Mass Produced, Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle

I never expected the world’s first mass produced, plug-in hybrid car to pop up for sale in China, mecca of e-waste and air pollution. But BYD Auto did just that with the F3DM. According to the Grist, the F3 Dual Mode began selling this week with a $22,000 price tag, aimed initially at the Chinese…

Tech News Adrian Covert Dec 18

Awkward Piaggio Tricycle Could Be First Mass-Produced Plug-in Hybrid

You know that plug-in hybrid revolution everyone keeps talking about? Well, apparently this is what it is going to look like. If Piaggio keeps its word, the first mass-produced plug-in hybrid vehicle will be an updated version of its MP3 scooter, identical to its older brother in nearly every way except for its powertrain. The…

Tech News John Herrman Nov 11

Volkswagen’s New XL1 Plug-In Hybrid Promises 260 MPG

Lenovo’s U1 Hybrid Hands On: Don’t Fool Me Twice

Sony Creates Frankenstein TV With Built-In PlayStation 2

Dell’s Hybrid Netbook-Tablet Might Be Flipping Your Way Next Week

Dell’s Flip-Top Tablet-Netbook Transformer Still Looks Bonkers In Official Vid

How To Create a Real-Life Rabbit-Duck Illusion

Three Teams Split $10 Million Automotive X-Prize

Halfthings (a.k.a. when will see centaurs and Mr. Spock?)

iMac Touch Interface Shown Off In Apple Patent

A Vinyl-CD Hybrid To Keep the Hipster-Yuppies Satisfied

Lenovo Delays Skylight Smartbook and U1 Hybrid Indefinitely

Improved Lithium Ion Batteries Deliver 10,000 Charges, 20 Year Lifespans

Fit For Jeff Bridges: BMW’s Vision Efficient Dynamics Hybrid Concept

The First Battery Swap Station for Electric Cars

Ford Engineer Builds Street-Legal, 125 MPG Hybrid in His Garage

Honda Creates Pixel Art From Hundreds of Car Headlights

Hyundai BLUE-WILL Would Clearly Like to Eat the Prius

President Obama Details $2.4 Billion in Grants For Electric Vehicles

Chinese Car Maker Begins Selling the F3DM, the World’s First Mass Produced, Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle

Awkward Piaggio Tricycle Could Be First Mass-Produced Plug-in Hybrid

‘Good Omens’ Season 3 Is Still Just One Episode, Despite Being Called That

Steam Gaming Has Arrived on Apple Vision Pro, and It’s Unexpectedly Glorious

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The Spymaster’s Guide to the Secret Agencies of ‘Star Trek’

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You Can Add ‘Lamp That Folds Your Laundry’ to the List of Doomed Startups

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