Noel McKeegan

Not so long ago, the idea that a car could drive itself seemed mildly insane, but thanks to the impetus provided by the DARPA Urban Grand Challenge and ongoing research around the globe, driving might become a hobby rather than a necessity much sooner than you think. One of the pioneers in the field, the Berlin-based AutoNOMOS group unveiled its latest project earlier this year. Known as FU-X "Made in Germany" the tech-laden VW Passat uses GPS, video cameras, on-board laser scanners and radars to navigate autonomously, giving it the potential to be used as a driverless taxi cab. Its latest trick – you can now hail it with an iPad. Read More

A large scale wind farm to be built in central Oregon has received "a conditional commitment to provide a partial guarantee for a $1.3 billion loan" from the U.S. Department of Energy. Made up of 338 GE wind turbines, the Caithness Shepherds Flat 845 megawatt project will create 400 construction jobs (plus 35 permanent jobs once up and running) and promises a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to that produced by more than 200,000 cars. Read More

We took a shine to the Audi e-tron Quattro when it appeared in Frankfurt last year followed by a smaller version in Detroit. Why? Because it's simply stunning to look at... and has specs to match. The latest iteration was unveiled at the 2010 Paris Auto Show this morning – the e-tron Spyder concept. This open-top, plug-in-hybrid two-seater combines a 221-kW (300-hp) twin-turbo V6 TDI at the rear axle and two electric motors at the front to deliver a limited top speed of 250 km/h (155.34 mph), reaching 100 km/h (62.14 mph) from a standing start in just 4.4 seconds. Read More

Skoda is taking the plunge into the electric vehicle world with the unveiling of the Octavia Green E Line concept in Paris. Based on the Škoda Octavia Combi, the five-seater EV sports a 26.5 kWh ion-lithium battery and an electric motor with a maximum output of 85 kW and 270 Nm of torque, which translates to a range of up to 140 km (87 miles), a top speed limited to 135 km/h (84 mph) and acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 12 seconds. The concept is billed as a technology demonstrator, with Škoda saying it will create a test fleet in 2011 to further develop the electric drive. Read More

How do you get more mini than a MINI? Try the MINI Scooter E, a new concept to be shown at the Paris Motor Show which takes the design language of MINI's current line-up and adds a healthy dose of retro styling to create an all-electric two wheeler – a first for the brand. The Scooter E uses an in-hub motor at the rear wheel powered by a lithium-ion battery which is recharged via a conventional socket using an on-board cable. Conventional keys are discarded in favor of a smartphone, which also becomes the display panel when slotted into the integrated dock. Read More

When you think Lotus, you think diminutive, somewhat stripped-back sportscars, but the company is signaling a new direction with the roll-out of the Elite production prototype at the Paris Motor Show later this month. The 2+2 Elite GT is, well, bigger – more room, more comfort, more weight (at 1650kg it's almost 300kg heavier than the Evora) and a front-mid positioned 5.0-litre V8 engine delivering up to 456kW and 720Nm of torque. There's also a hybrid technology option with Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) on offer as well as a retractable hardtop version. The promised performance specs are impressive – 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in around 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 315 km/h (195 mph). If you're in the market for a supercar in the US$180K price range you'll have to be patient though, the Lotus Elite isn't scheduled for production until 2014. Read More

Head torches – they're fantastic on your head, but when not in use they tend to end up a tangled mess somewhere in the nether regions of your backpack. Some might come with a sturdy case but, in my experience anyway, the case rarely get used (or gets lost in the first week). The LED Lenser H4 solves this by giving you a reason to put the head torch away – when stowed in the case it becomes a clip-on flashlight. Read More

The follow-up to the Google sanctioned G1 smartphone is on the way and T-Mobile has released official details. The T-Mobile G2 gets Android 2.2, an 800 MHz Snapdragon MSM7230 CPU, applications like Google Voice Actions built-in and 4G speeds via the carrier's HSPA+ network2. The HTC-designed handset also includes a 3.7-inch multi-touch screen, an optical trackpad, a new hinge design for the full QWERTY keyboard and a 5-megapixel camera with 720p video capture. Read More

IFA is billed as the world’s largest consumer electronics and home appliances tradeshow, so it's fitting that the closing address for the 2010 event was delivered by the CEO of one of the biggest players in the technology space – Dr. Eric Schmidt of Google Inc. He discussed the age of the smartphone, cloud computing, plus some tasty samples of Google TV and what's just around the corner for the Android platform including a game-changing tool for mobile speech translation called "conversation mode"... read on for a summary of the key points. Read More