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Electric Motorcycle World, U.S. and U.K. Championships for 2010
By Gizmag Team
00:40 August 19, 2009 PDT
The success of the TTXGP for electric motorcycles held on the Isle of Man on June 12 has quickly spawned a world championship, feeder series in the UK and United States, a UKP10,000 Technical Package for teams, and the likelihood that a complete electric racing bike will be on the market in Q1, 2010 for under USD40,000. Having been sanctioned by the governing body for motorcycle racing, (the FIM) to create a world championship in 2010, TTXGP founder Azhar Hussain is working to create a five-race global series with rounds in Europe, Asia and the Americas. A four-round U.K. National series and three-round American National series for 2010 are being planned, with the biggest news being the availability of a technology starter pack later this year - the UKP10,000 kit will include an AGNI electric racing motor, race batteries, controllers and all electronics – just add your own frame and running gear. Read More
Bentley Mulsanne debuts at Pebble Beach
By Gizmag Team
19:10 August 18, 2009 PDT
Bentley Motors finally took the wraps off its all-new flagship grand tourer, the Mulsanne, at the Pebble Beach Concours D’Elegance in Monterey, California on the weekend. The Mulsanne is inspired by the company founder W.O. Bentley’s crowning achievement in 1930, the 8-liter. Fittingly, W.O.’s own sensitively preserved 1930 company car shared the podium with the new Mulsanne in Pebble Beach. This early motoring masterpiece represented the last big Bentley that was designed, engineered and built from the ground up by Bentley engineers – until now. Read More
Portable, secure 3G/4G router runs 8 hours on batteries
By Gizmag Team
18:38 August 12, 2009 PDT
The ability to be not just unwired, but entirely off the grid is getting far more manageable for the road warrior. Cradlepoint manufactures a range of portable 3G and 4G routers ideal for the mobile workforce, so that within minutes you can set up a secure WiFi network and share access from one cellular data modem with an entire team. Now Tekkeon has released a new compact battery that provides six to eight hours of runtime for CradlePoint portable 3G and 4G mobile broadband routers when no power outlet is available. By combining Tekkeon’s new USD$100 rechargeable lithium polymer MP2250 battery with any of several 3G/4G routers manufactured by CradlePoint, users can power a secure WiFi hotspot for hours – anywhere there’s cellular access. Read More
The changing world automotive order
By Gizmag Team
19:02 August 11, 2009 PDT
Now that clean emissions and petrol pricing are firmly on the global agenda, the world's consumption habits are changing accordingly, and the world order of automobile manufacturers is in massive flux. Japan's Toyota took over from America's General Motors last year and is now safely the world's number one, but the big mover of the last 12 months has been Korea's Hyundai/Kia group, which has now passed Ford for fourth place. When GM is broken into saleable chunks, Hyundai/Kia could become the third largest – up from 11th spot just a decade ago. The big question now is how long it will take to get Chinese and Indian representation within the top 10. Read More
Water-tight and ship-shape: the Clarion CMV1 multimedia head-unit
By Gizmag Team
17:41 August 11, 2009 PDT
Fully-featured mobile multimedia is finally moving beyond the automobile with Clarion's addition of a watertight multimedia head-unit to its range of custom marine products. The Clarion CMV1 features a 3.5-inch TFT color display, offers DVD-video, DivX, iPod Video playback and, with rear panel AV inputs and outputs, it is capable of driving additional display screens. It cleverly has a one-year back-up memory so radio presets are not lost if your boat is in seasonal storage. The unit delivers a comprehensive on-board entertainment experience that was previously reserved for in-car and can now be fully appreciated in the unique and relaxing environment offered by watercraft. Read More
Porsche next generation 911 Turbo gets new 500 BHP engine
By Gizmag Team
21:43 August 7, 2009 PDT
In Porsche introduced the 911 Turbo (Porsche 930 in the U.S.) and it became an instant classic with its swollen wheel-arches, whale tale spoiler, distinctive exhaust rasp, demanding handling and 256 bhp of eye-popping acceleration. Now Porsche is poised to release a next generation 911 Turbo at Frankfurt Motor Show next month and the extensive check list of techno-wizardry highlights just how far automotive technology has progressed in a third of a century – driving dynamics have improved dramatically from previous turbos, it uses less than half the fuel (24 mpg) of the original and produces TWICE the power. Read More
Hitachi ships first 2TB 7200rpm desktop HDD
By Gizmag Team
22:18 August 6, 2009 PDT
Like death and taxes, larger hard drives are inevitable, and the latest biggest, a two terabyte (2TB), 7200 RPM hard disk drive comes from the usual suspect, Hitachi, which also shipped the first 1TB drive back in 2007. The new, colossal, 2TB Deskstar 7K2000 blends high performance and high capacity with low power and other eco-friendly features designed to enable Energy-Star rated computers and other high performance desktop systems. Read More
World’s first commercial fuel cell Unmanned Aerial System
By Gizmag Team
06:32 August 6, 2009 PDT
The world’s first long endurance, commercial hydrogen fuel cell powered Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) will be showcased at AUVSI in Washington on August 11. Developed by BlueBird Aero Systems, “Boomerang” is a electric powered 9kg UAS which can fly for over nine hours using a high performance hydrogen-electric power system from Horizon Fuel Cell Technologies. Named AEROPAK, the self-contained 2kg fuel cell power system from Horizon can deliver 900Wh, at the same time as significantly increasing flight endurance, minimizing acoustic signature and reducing overall size of the UAS. Read More
V4 engine set for two-wheeled renaissance
By Gizmag Team
05:47 August 6, 2009 PDT
It seems the V4 engine is set to come back into vogue for high-end motorcycles, with the 1000cc RSV4 of Aprilia besting long-established successful marques at the Czech Republic World Superbike Championship round and the imminent launch of Honda's much awaited V4 roadster in its 50th year of Grand Prix motorcycle racing. Details of the new 1200cc Honda V4 are starting to emerge and it looks like some fairly significant new technologies will be incorporated into the design, including variable cylinder management, meaning that the rear cylinders will cut out when full power isn't needed. Aprilia meanwhile, is making hay and is already preparing an RSV4 Naked Bike (sans fairing), and a 600cc supersport machine is also likely. Read More
The new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Intelligent (E)state-of-the-art
By Gizmag Team
20:26 August 5, 2009 PDT
The term “station wagon” is not favored by premium automotive brands, as it originated in reference to the distinctly proletarian vehicles with enlarged luggage space which loitered at railway stations to carry travelers the final miles to their destination. The term “Estate car” derived from the bodyworks modified upmarket vehicles used on the estates of European gentlemen to move people and gear. Estate cars have come a long way in 100 years, as witnessed by the fifth generation of the Mercedes Benz E-Class Estate with its nine airbags, adaptive damping, self-leveling rear suspension, adaptive highbeam, drowsiness detection and powered tailgate. Read More
Mazda MX-5 Superlight without a windscreen
By Gizmag Team
05:42 August 5, 2009 PDT
It might seem like only yesterday that the Mazda MX5 hit the market, but the iconic roadster actually celebrated its 20th birthday on the U.S. Market last month (March in Japan). In order to commemorate two decades of the best-selling two-seat sports car in the world, Mazda has released a special edition in Japan, but the prospect of something even more special looms at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show where an MX-5 Superlight version will be unveiled with a radical exterior design requiring no windshield. Read More
P-8A Poseidon reconnaissance plane officially unveiled
By Gizmag Team
05:40 August 5, 2009 PDT
The U.S. Navy's new long-range maritime surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft has been officially unveiled at the Boeing facility in Renton, Washington. The P-8A Poseidon will provide anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare capabilities and offers greater payload capacity and advanced software and communications over the P-3C Orion which it is scheduled to replace from 2013. Read More
(UPDATED - VIDEO) Nissan LEAF: 100 mile range, mid-size production EV revealed
By Gizmag Team
20:05 August 2, 2009 PDT
Last month we looked at the Nissan's latest prototype EV and the infrastructure it hopes to put in place to support the "electric future". Now production plans have been revealed with the company taking the wraps off a fully-electric mid-size vehicle which it intends to launch in Japan, the United States and Europe in late 2010. With a name to compliment its green credentials, the LEAF is a five-seat hatchback powered by lithium-ion batteries which deliver a range of 160km (100 miles) on one full charge. The electric motor delivers 80kW (107bhp) and 280Nm of torque with top speed slated at 140kmh (around 90mph). Read More
Philips Wake up Light gets an iPod dock
By Gizmag Team
20:34 July 30, 2009 PDT
Philips' Wake-up Light is a 'dawn simulator' that uses light to ease you gently out of your snoozing state, but the latest version provides another option for those days when a little extra oomph may be required to get you moving with the inclusion of an iPod dock. Read More
Ferrari’s innovative new V8 – the 458 Italia
By Gizmag Team
06:31 July 28, 2009 PDT
The Italia is the latest incarnation of the mid-rear engined Ferrari berlinetta and will be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. While it’s true that every Ferrari is innovative by definition, it’s equally true that in the course of the Prancing Horse’s history, certain cars have marked a genuine departure from the current range. This is very much the case with the Ferrari 458 Italia, which is a massive leap forward from the company’s previous mid-rear engined sports cars. Read More
Swearing proven to have a 'pain-lessening effect'
By Gizmag Team
06:34 July 27, 2009 PDT
Swearing has been around for centuries and is an almost universal human linguistic phenomenon. Now researchers have determined that swearing can have a ‘pain-lessening effect.’ Swearing taps into emotional brain centers and appears to arise in the right brain, whereas most language production occurs in the left cerebral hemisphere of the brain. The research shows one potential reason why swearing developed and why it persists. Read More
North American NAVIGON on board navigation system for the iPhone
By Gizmag Team
01:32 July 27, 2009 PDT
The convergence of the mobile phone and GPS took a quantum leap this week when NAVIGON released a North American version of its on-board navigation software for the iPhone. MobileNavigator transforms any iPhone 3G (or S) with OS 3.0 into a complete navigation device. The on-board approach means the software and map data is on the iPhone, so there are no subscription fees to pay or map downloads to wait for during navigation. It includes most regular NAVIGON functionality such as Reality View Pro, Lane Assistant Pro, Speed Assistant and Day & Night Mode, branded POIs along the route with more features to be added with software updates later this year. Read More
Don't ya wish your hybrid was hot like mine?
By Gizmag Team
00:25 July 27, 2009 PDT
Hybrid automotive engineering finally made its way to the forefront of the world's most important motorsport series on the weekend when cars running the “hybrid” Kinetic Energy Recovery System finished first and second at the Hungarian F1 Grand Prix. The winning McLaren Mercedes MP4/24 of reigning world champion Lewis Hamilton and second-placed Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen both used KERS systems, increasing the likelihood that both manufacturers will introduce high performance hybrid sports cars in the near future. Wired recently reported that McLaren was preparing a hybrid supercar, and Car and Driver is also speculating that the expected F430 successor includes a KERS system directly descendant from the F1 car. Ironically, the KERS system is likely to be dumped from F1 in 2010 as part of radical cost-cutting measures. Read More
Ferrari announces free Roadside Assistance service for all cars not covered by warranty
By Gizmag Team
07:55 July 22, 2009 PDT
We suspect that the retained value figures for all Ferrari automobiles just took a significant hike in value. In a stunning move, Ferrari has announced the launch of a new “With You” roadside assistance service which will be provided free of charge to owners of all Prancing Horse cars built since 1947 and not covered by either existing factory or POWER warranties. Under the new scheme, Ferrari clients will not only enjoy 12 months of roadside assistance if their vehicle breaks down, but also be offered cover for expenses involved in returning home or reaching the Ferrari Authorised Service Centre to which their car has been taken. The service is free, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, initially for Italian and UK owners, but to be extended to other European markets in the near future. No announcement has yet been made as to whether the scheme will be extended beyond Europe. Read More
New figures show most reliable and unreliable cars, cheapest and most expensive to repair
By Gizmag Team
04:34 July 21, 2009 PDT
The growing availability of information afforded by the internet will ultimately make all entities more accountable, whether they're made of flesh and blood, or bricks and mortar and concepts. Corporations will need to change if they are to survive in this coming age of accountability and automotive manufacturers in particular will need to reassess their communication strategies. Despite the financial magnitude of an automobile purchasing decision, the masses have until now been content to read the spec sheet and subscribe to the copywritten dreams rather than assess the real costs of owning the car - reliability, cost of repair, time-off-road and resale value - because those factors have been hidden. Now those figures are becoming publicly available and some of the big names don't fare at all well. Read on to find out how much more it costs to repair a Porsche than any other brand, which British marque is the least reliable, which European brands dominate the cheapest to repair top 10, and why Honda fares best with everything considered. Read on for the top 10 most expensive to repair, top 10 least expensive to repair, top 10 most unreliable brands, and the top 10 most reliable brands. Fascinating stuff! Read More
Latest news from The Mobiler - Nokia's rugged 3720 classic
By Gizmag Team
22:51 July 19, 2009 PDT
Over at The Mobiler recent news includes a look at Nokia's rough and tumble 3720, the release of Google Voice apps for Blackberry and Android, Palm's release of the Mojo SDK for developers on the Pre WebOS, a simple solution for syncing Google Calendar with iPhone Calendar, iPhone video projection heading this way, the reincarnation of that British icon - the red telephone Box - and Samsung’s ‘night vision’ phone. Read More
Solara Field Tracker 2100 - handheld GPS with text messaging
By Gizmag Team
00:19 July 18, 2009 PDT
The USD$880 Solara Field Tracker 2100 is a handheld GPS with text messaging – no voice, no video, no apps, just text. This may not seem a particularly enticing value proposition, particularly when you consider the USD$30 a month subscription fee, but wait … there's more! As it operates over the Iridium satellite network, which offers truly global coverage, it means you can stay in touch even if you're trekking the Himalayas, or the Silk road or Antarctica. Throw in extreme ruggedness, automatic position reporting and a two-way Emergency Alert notification system and it's a very compelling proposition if you're an adventurer who enjoys getting well off the beaten track. Read More
IASUS 500K Series Special Ops Headset System for the iPhone and Blackberry
By Gizmag Team
01:36 July 17, 2009 PDT
IASUS Concepts may not be well known to mobile phone consumers, as it has largely operated in the military marketplace until now, making specialist headsets, throat microphones and similar special operations paraphernalia. Its anonymity might soon be short lived thanks to its latest 500K Series Headset targeted at iPhone and Blackberry power users. Its Special Ops look is no accident as the 500K is adapted from standard issue FBI, CIA, and secret service earpieces, and is the first to introduce an acoustic coil earpiece to the mobile platform. Read More
Polaris launches Electric Neighbourhood Vehicle
By Gizmag Team
01:15 July 17, 2009 PDT
Polaris has announced a low emission electric powered Neighborhood Vehicle, the Polaris Breeze, the first product of its new On-Road Vehicle Division. The Breeze is designed for multiple consumer uses such as golfing, comfortably transporting up to four passengers, or easily carrying light cargo loads. The vehicle is targeted towards master planned communities, and will be available in limited quantities in September 2009. Perhaps more importantly, now that electric vehicle manufacture has been added to the company skills base, what other electric capability might be added to other Polaris products? Read More
Mercedes-Benz AMG previews a 500 bhp Gull Wing Electric Sports Car
By Gizmag Team
04:37 July 16, 2009 PDT
Mercedes and its performance arm AMG gave us a tantalising glimpse of the electric sports car of the maybe-not-so-distant future today with a cryptic outline of a new SLS AMG with electric drive. The Gull-winged electric SLS AMG uses four in-wheel electric motors with a combined peak output of 392 kW and a maximum torque of 880 Nm. By comparison, the current 6.3-litre V8-engined SLS AMG develops 420 kW, so performance will not be lacking. Read More
John M
- November 25, 2009 @ 17:19 UTC
