Datensklaven

Replacing the bulky and square speakers, the USB U-Tube i-Speaker offers minimalist as well as unique look to the interior of contemporary spaces. Connecting to different systems and players, including iPod, MP3, MP4, MD and CD player, together with notebook, PC, PDA, PSP, mobile-phone and other digital devices with 3.5mm stereo audio connector, the i-Speaker comes integrated with rechargeable Lithium Ion battery for a green and clean acoustic effects. The USB device as depicted by its name features the U-Tube design and incorporates volume controller, on/off switch, 2W + 2W power high quality sound output and LED indicator to show the charging or on/off status. Measuring about 130 x 90 x 40mm, the U-Tube speaker system is not only compact in size but lightweight (105g) as well. The USB U-Tube i-Speaker with USB Audio Cables can be yours for $19 only.

4

Jordy has arrived. Keep your eyes peeled for more as the WCT invades Lower Trestles in preparation for the 2009 Hurley Pro at Lowers.

TH!NK (with the cute exclamation point in place of an ‘i’) hasn’t been the loudest name in electric cars, and perhaps that contributed to them entering bankruptcy protection last December. But in Norway (where Think is headquartered) earlier this week, Think’s reorganization was approved, and the company is on track to resume production.

One of the new investors in Think is the Finnish company Valmet Automotive, whose production facilities will be used to produce the car, alongside the Boxster and Cayman models they build for Porsche. Think is also reported to be looking for a location in the US where they can produce the car for the North American market.

The TH!NK City is a two-seat, battery-electric car with a top speed of 100 kmh (62 mph) and a driving range of 170-200 kilometers (105-124 miles). With its small size – slightly over 3 meters (10 feet) long – and range constraints, not to mention calling the vehicle “City”, it is definitely targeted at urban commuters. Think has showed other models, such as the Th!nk Ox Concept Car, and according to the company, has a 2 + 2 configuration forthcoming which will allow urban parents to bring their children along. This will add to the growing variety of electric vehicle options that are becoming available.

via: Detroit News

We may be getting closer to a hardware version of hands-free navigation for iPhone users. The FCC has released several documents plus photos of a planned TomTom Car Kit for the iPhone.
The kit (pictured above) includes a mount enabling the iPhone to be positioned either vertically or in landscape mode. Engadget also writes the kit [...]

Radios lost relevance mid way but suddenly there is an out flux. Even designers are taking to designing radios with varying capabilities and features. Adding thus, is the iStrom emergency alert radio receiver, which is designed aesthetically to receive radio signals and alert and inform users during natural weather disasters. Featuring what almost all gadgets wish for – an iPod docking station that is, the iStrom provides for full color read out of the weather conditions and also lets you enjoy your favorite tracks for the iPod during long periods of wait. The iStrom also stuffs a dynamo crank handle that allows an additional charge to the radio and iPod and also adds to the emergency radio receiver’s eco-friendly credentials.
Read the rest of this entry »

Better Place, the start up that wants to bring electric car charging and battery swapping stations to the masses, has announced a partnership with Tokyo’s Niho Kotsu taxi company.  The taxi fleet will be the first to go all-electric with swappable batteries.

The partners will commence on a pilot project using Better Place’s infrastructure in January 2010.  The project’s battery-swapping station will be located in the Roppongi Hills area of Tokyo.

Tokyo is a perfect location for this project since Japan has already proven itself as electric and hybrid car friendly.  The Prius is the number one car in the country and the Insight and iMiEV have had great success as well.  Also, other fleets have started to make the change to electric cars, including the Japan Post.  It seems the country is ready to fully embrace electric vehicles, but for that to happen, the infrastructure has to be in place.

Better Place needs this project to have positive results.  The company just revealed that batteries for its swapping stations will cost almost $12,000 each, at least for the next few years until battery production ramps up.  In order to acquire enough batteries to get their swapping stations in place, the company is going to need good press and good investers.

via Earth2Tech

God help us if Mac OS X ever has a system like the App Store policy. This time, Convertbot by Tapbots (a Cult of Mac favorite a while ago) was rejected. Its crime, as the image above shows, was using an icon for Time that Apple considers too similar to the one it uses for [...]

Nature is possibly the most influential factor in one’s life. Drawing inspiration from vivid aspects of the Nature, Portuguese designer Luis Porem has come up with an innovative bathroom concept that generating a peaceful state of mind refreshes the users for the day. Dubbed “Nature’s Room,” the futuristic bathroom suspends a shower, supported by four steel cables, to produce hot water rain, integrating nature into our everyday life. Finished with tiles to grow plants, the bathroom stores the used water in an underground tank to be reused to water plants, after flirtation process, which not just allows green and clean surroundings, but also helps in sustaining the environment.
Read the rest of this entry »

Tesla is busy celebrating its first month of profitability, and it’s clear that something about their model is working. The simple idea of making electric vehicles a luxury, instead of a 20 mph city car, has been a boon to the entire idea of EVs. The question is, can Tesla bring down the price while increasing the practicality of these cars?

That’s the goal of the Model S. It isn’t going to be for everyone, with a base price of nearly $60,000. But it’s a good step down from the roadster’s $100,000+ pricetag. Tesla recently announced that the Model S would be taking on the practicality angle too, with a model that got a 300 mile range, roughly the same as a gasoline engine. Of course, there would still be no quick fill-up at the end of those 300 miles, but it’s better than the 100 mile range that most EVs are promising.

However, in a New York Times blog post today, Jim Motavalli said that Tesla’s financial officer, J.B. Straubel, admitted that to do that they would need a 85 to 95 kW/h pack, and that he wasn’t concerned at all about creating such a battery. Tesla is building its own batteries now, and while they started off just fusing together laptop batteries, their technology is getting pretty advanced.

But, still, the Chevy Volt’s battery pack is one of the most advanced in the world, and it is 16 kW/h and costs around $8,000. Motavalli at the New York Times asked around and officials at both Ford and Aptera told him that such a battery would weigh almost 2,000 lbs and cost as much as $40,000.

Of course, Tesla isn’t planning on building the car with existing technology, but they do seem much more optimistic about how quickly battery technology will progress. Though, one thing is clear, the version of the Model S that has a 300 mile range is going to cost a hell of a lot more than the version that gets a 165 mile range.

There was a rumor about this a few months back. Now it is here! Nokia officially unveiled its newest product – a laptop! It goes by with the name Booklet 3G, with over 12 hours of battery life.

Yes, this laptop, which is supposed to be different when compared to the other netbooks in the market, has features better than many netbooks. It has a 10.1 inch display, with high resolution, powered by an Atom processor, integrated 3G wireless system, and get this: a hot-swappable SIM card. The 2 cm, 1.25kg aluminum body also houses common features such as Bluetooth, WiFi, A-GPS, HDMI output, and a nice 12 hour battery life. The design, as Nokia calls it in this promo video below, is ‘beautiful’ and ‘highly durable’. Nokia followers can know more about this come September 2 during the Nokia World 09.

[ Source ]

Here’s how Apple’s tablet will work and why it’ll be a paradigm shift. Using your fingers as an input device is extremely intuitive, and it’ll make the mouse and keyboard seem as antiquated as punch cards.
On the following pages is a gallery of concept designs created by Jon Doe, an anonymous grad student from Georgia [...]